Albania’s 94th consecutive day of protests ended in escalating tensions on Tuesday evening, as demonstrators clashed with police outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Tirana. Fourteen people were arrested and three others were placed under criminal proceedings following the confrontation.
The protest took a more confrontational turn when demonstrators gathered on Ismail Qemali Street, on the southern side of the government building, blocking its entrances and exits.
Police responded by forming a security cordon around the building, where senior state officials were reportedly present at the time.
According to the Tirana Police Directorate, officers repeatedly ordered the protesters through loudspeakers to disperse and clear the road. Police said the demonstrators refused to comply and continued blocking access to the building and traffic.
The situation escalated when police began moving the crowd away from the entrances.
Authorities allege that several protesters resisted physically, sat down in the street and pushed and struck police officers. One police officer was reportedly injured during the confrontation.
14 arrested, three facing proceedings
Following the clashes, police announced that 14 people had been arrested in flagrante delicto, while criminal proceedings were initiated against three others without detention.
Among those arrested were protest organizers Dritan Goxhaj, Arvina Lleshi and Edison Lika, according to local media reports.
Police referred the case to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, citing alleged offenses including organizing or participating in unlawful gatherings, resisting public-order police officers, disturbing public order and obstructing vehicle traffic.
The authorities said the measures followed an investigation into the events surrounding the September 1 demonstration.
Protesters gather outside police stations
The confrontation did not end with the arrests.
Following the detentions, other protesters gathered outside police stations in Tirana, demanding the release of those arrested. Local reports described further tensions between demonstrators and police, including outside Police Station No. 3.
The latest developments represent a significant escalation in a protest movement that has now continued for 94 days.
The demonstrations have included demands for political change, including calls for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign, the establishment of a transitional government and new elections.
A protest movement entering a new phase
Tuesday’s events mark a shift in the character of the demonstrations.
What had largely been a prolonged campaign of rallies and political speeches turned into a direct confrontation between protesters attempting to approach and block a key government institution and police forces tasked with securing the building.
The arrests are now likely to move the dispute beyond the streets and into Albania’s legal and political arena.
For the protesters, the detentions could become another rallying point against the government. For the authorities, the events are being framed as a matter of public order and protection of a key state institution.
After 94 days of demonstrations, the confrontation outside Albania’s Prime Minister’s Office shows that the political standoff remains unresolved — and that tensions between the protesters and authorities are continuing to intensify.
