Violent Albanian protests sparked by luxury Trump resort ramp up amid demands for PM to resign

Violent Albanian protests sparked by luxury Trump resort ramp up amid demands for PM to resign Police in riot gear responded with tear gas, water canons and rubber bullets as student-led demonstrations turned violent - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Protesters in Albania have said they will accept nothing less than the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who they describe as a “public enemy”, as violent clashes continue into a fifth night. Demonstrators have described youths being taken to the hospital with broken legs, wounds from rubber bullets and spinal injuries following the protests in the capital city Tirana. “There is no stepping back now,” said activist Ervin Goci from the protest in Tirana. “This will continue. The protests will widen and will intensify.” Officers in riot gear fired water canons and rubber bullets at protesters who set up street barricades using burning rubbish bins and hurled rocks outside the prime minister’s office. Demonstrations turned violent in the capital city Tirana on Tuesday following months of peaceful protests initially sparked by plans for a luxury resort spear-headed by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. Calls to halt the development swelled into an outpouring of grievances against the Albanian government, which protesters have described as corrupt, with demands that both Edi Rama and main opposition leader Sali Berisha be sent to prison. The majority of protesters are young people and students, with grievances including the high cost of education and lack of opportunities in Albania. On Wednesday, the ministry of education was set on fire, while masked protesters attacked the prime minister's office, as well as the finance and interior ministry. Clashes have spread west to the cities of Durres, Shkoder, Lezhe and Vlore, as well as Korce in the east of Albania and Gjirokaster in the south. “We protested peacefully for five months,” Goci said. “It was not possible to wait any longer. The real battle is now. It’s him [Rama] against the people.” Goci added that activists would continue to demonstrate across the city until their demands were listened to. “We want total blocking of life in Albania,” he said. Artan Kacani, activist and urban planner from the coastal city of Durres, added: “The primary, non-negotiable demand uniting the streets is the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister and his cabinet.” He said that the protesters would accept no political compromise and “explicitly reject any conditional negotiations, political deals, or leadership offers from established political parties (both government and traditional opposition)”. In Durres, protesters smashed windows at the City Hall, the Prefecture, and the Main Post Office, which Kacani said are three institutions locally viewed as symbolic of deep corruption. Kacani said police were deploying various tactics to prevent crowds assembling, which he said were causing 'fear and panic' among residents. On Thursday, Mr Rama insisted that he would not step down. "As for calls for my resignation, governments are changed through democratic elections. We had elections last year, not a revolution," Rama said in written responses to the Reuters news agency. "My responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward. The alternative would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership." He added: "Attacking institutions, destroying public property and threatening public safety have nothing to do with the legitimate demands of students." Speaking to The Independent from outside the prime minister’s office today, activist Nikoleta Mehmeti, an architect from Tirana, described chaos and confusion as officers fired tear gas on protesters. She reported seeing many injured young people struggling to get help from ambulances. She said: “The government itself is spreading a lot of panic and disinformation in order to confuse protesters. People are terrified, but they will continue to protest.” Kacani added: “Protesters are deeply determined yet acutely aware of the dangerous police response. Despite intense tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and mass detentions, the crowds remain enormous and continue to reassemble daily.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments