The key facts

  • Student protests in Tirana have been going on since October 13, now in their 13th day; schoolchildren, lecturers, and trade unions have joined them.
  • PM Edi Rama announced a legislative package on demonstrations, including fines and compensation for businesses.
  • Some protests escalated into clashes: stones thrown at police, tear gas used by security forces.

Protests in Tirana enter their 13th day

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Sunday plans to adopt new legal measures regarding protests, amid ongoing demonstrations by university students demanding improved study conditions in the capital, Tirana. The actions began on October 13 and have now been going on for 13 days, joined by schoolchildren, citizens, lecturers from several universities, and various trade unions, Anadolu reports. Some of the demonstrations escalated into violence.

Clashes with police

Protesters marched through the streets and squares of the capital: first they gathered at the ministry of education, where they threw stones at the building, then moved to the prime minister's office, where tension between demonstrators and security forces grew. According to Anadolu, participants threw stones at police and public institutions, while police responded with tear gas; some demonstrators were injured in the clashes, in which Molotov cocktails were used sporadically.

Dialogue rejected, legislative package in preparation

Rama, as on previous days, repeated his call for dialogue, but the protesters rejected it, saying they would continue their demonstrations. According to the prime minister, the current law on demonstrations dates back to 2001 and contains no provisions on digital technologies, which have now become an integral part of protests. The proposed legislative package includes compensation for businesses affected by demonstrations, fines for participants in violent protests, measures against calls for violence on social media, and amendments to the Criminal Code. The planned provisions introduce fines for organizing unauthorized marches, failure to comply with orders to disperse, wearing masks at protests, and blocking traffic. The package also provides for the removal of social media posts calling for violence and the prosecution of those responsible for them.

Significance

The event is important because it touches on the balance between the right to protest and public order: the announced measures — from fines for masks to the removal of social media posts — will directly determine how Albanians will be able to hold actions in the future. For the protesters, the key question is whether the authorities will respond to their original demand to improve study conditions, since the students say they intend to continue the demonstrations. It remains unknown when the package will be submitted to parliament and whether it will be adopted at all: the source only reports on the prime minister's plans.