Hundreds Hurt in Tirana as Crowd Turns on Ministry Building

Albanian police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets into crowds in Tirana on Saturday after an anti-government rally turned violent. Authorities reported more than 300 injuries among protesters and officers and said dozens of demonstrators were arrested. Stones were thrown at the Ministry of Education and burning bins were rolled toward it. Several other government buildings were also attacked.

The violence followed a series of demonstrations that began in mid-October over school conditions and the rising cost of living. Clashes between demonstrators and police have occurred repeatedly since then. Protests in the capital had quieted in the days before Saturday's rally, which organizers promoted by calling on students and others from across Albania to attend.

University professors, artists and opposition parties announced support for or participation in the march. Local media reported that police increased security around Tirana and checked cars entering the city. The Ministry of Education has become a focal point of the demonstrations.

Protests against the government have run intermittently since May, when a luxury hotel project linked to the family of United States President Donald Trump came to light. Public anger has since expanded into a campaign against corruption and the high cost of living, and protesters are calling on Prime Minister Edi Rama, a Socialist, to resign. Rama has blamed "foreign actors" for the violence and accused Russia and Iran of spreading misinformation online. He has also called for dialogue. Red cushions were placed outside government headquarters on Saturday as an invitation to talk, and demonstrators later set them on fire. Some people in the crowd carried signs criticizing Rama's opposition rival, centre-right leader Sali Berisha.