Overview
- Police say thousands rallied in Tirana on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the biggest clashes since mid-October that left more than 300 protesters and officers wounded and led to dozens of detentions.
- Riot police deployed tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse crowds after some demonstrators threw stones, launched fireworks and set fires at ministry entrances.
- Protesters attacked and damaged government buildings, banks and shops and tore up paving stones to use as projectiles during confrontations across central Tirana.
- Organisers trace the wider movement to May protests over a Kushner-linked luxury resort, saying the campaign has grown to include students, professors, artists and trade unions united by complaints about wages, jobs and corruption.
- Prime Minister Edi Rama has rejected calls to resign, blamed foreign actors for spreading misinformation and urged dialogue as EU and US officials warn the unrest could harm rule of law and Albania's EU accession prospects.