More than 300 injured in Albania protests as students demand prime minister’s resignation

ALBANIA: More than 300 people have been injured in a week of protests in Albania, as demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama continue to clash with riot police in the capital, Tirana.

The Albanian Health Ministry said on Monday (19 October 2026) that 310 people had been injured since the demonstrations began on 13 October.

The figure included 191 police officers, 88 protesters and 31 bystanders, Albanian Daily News reported.

The protests have involved tear gas, Molotov cocktails and attacks on police stations and government buildings.

Many of the demonstrators are high school and university students, with grievances including university conditions, alleged corruption and calls for Rama to step down.

Clashes escalate in Tirana

Monday marked the seventh consecutive day of violent clashes.

Police advanced on protesters using armoured vehicles, water cannon and tear gas, while riot police pursued demonstrators through Rinia Park, also known as Youth Park.

The BBC reported witnessing protesters removing cobblestones from the ground, apparently to use as projectiles during confrontations.

Volunteers wearing yellow reflective jackets helped people affected by tear gas, while one protester was sprayed in the face with pepper spray at close range.

The clashes have also affected people who were not participating in the demonstrations.

The Health Ministry said four bystanders sought treatment at Tirana’s University Trauma Hospital on Sunday, including a representative of international media.

Two other bystanders received medical attention, while two remained under examination at the time of the update.

Three more people, including a police officer, a minor participating in the protest and a media representative, received treatment at the Mother Teresa University Hospital Centre. All three were reported to be in stable condition.

Rama condemns attacks as criticism of police grows

Rama has condemned the violence against police and rejected the idea of negotiating with those responsible for attacks.

He held up a rock allegedly thrown at officers during Sunday's clashes while addressing police chiefs.

“The moment the state negotiates with this, the state has fallen,” he said.

Rama also accused what he described as “dark forces in Europe and the US” of radicalising young protesters and claimed Albania was the target of a coordinated attack.

These were the prime minister’s allegations, rather than independently established findings.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Gentian Sejrani told the BBC that police actions during the unrest had often been chaotic.

He said he was providing legal assistance to more than 100 people arrested in connection with the protests and alleged that police frequently failed to present sufficient evidence in court.

Sejrani also said some people had been arrested despite having no connection to the demonstrations.

More than 300 people injured

The Health Ministry’s latest figures, released at 9pm on Monday, put the total number of injured at 310, including police officers, demonstrators and bystanders.

The figures were higher than the 295 injuries reported before Monday’s violence, according to earlier official figures.

The demonstrations have continued amid tensions between protesters demanding political change and police seeking to contain the unrest. It remains unclear whether the protests will lead to any change in the government.