OMM Newsroom
Student protests in Albania entered their fifth day on Saturday, with arrests and damage to property reported in Durres as the country’s police watchdog reviewed suspected violations by officers, Anadolu Agency reported.
In Tirana, students were expected to assemble at their universities before marching to the Education Ministry for a rally scheduled for 11 a.m. (0900 GMT), public broadcaster RTSH reported.
Organizers called for a nationwide mobilization involving university and high school students, other citizens and members of the Albanian diaspora.
Police deployed water cannons near the ministry and prepared to set up a security cordon. The situation was initially calm, but protesters later removed sidewalk railings and placed them across the road.
In Durres, high school students gathered outside the municipal building for a third consecutive day. They threw stones at the building, set garbage bins on fire and damaged railings.
Later, protesters broke windows at an Albanian Post building as they marched toward the police station. Police intervened and made arrests before the crowd dispersed. No arrest figures were provided.
In Korca, crowds consisting mainly of high school students demonstrated for a third straight day, denouncing what they described as a lack of opportunities to build their futures in Albania and a lack of justice.
The Police Supervision Agency said it was examining suspected legal violations by State Police personnel during protests in Tirana and other cities.
Agency staff documented incidents at the scene and collected footage from media outlets and social networks to establish the circumstances and determine responsibility.
Cases involving suspected criminal offenses were being handled under the direction of prosecutors in Tirana, the agency said.
