Tirana: fresh clashes on the twelfth day of demonstrations
ERTnews and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report new clashes on 24 October. Injury reports are not presented as a single independently verified total.
Updated 25.10.2026 · 00:00, Athens time — What changed
Fresh clashes were reported in Tirana on 24 October 2026, the twelfth day of anti-government demonstrations, by ERTnews reporters on the ground and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
RFE/RL describes stone throwing near the Education Ministry and police use of tear gas and water cannon. ERT correspondent Despoina Kritikou reported a Molotov-cocktail attack on a private bank at around 21:30 Greek time.
No new unified injury total is given: the breakdown in the report does not match its stated total, and the full original health bulletin was inaccessible. Previous casualty figures and earlier institutional positions remain dated below.
Earlier updates — history
Updated 19.10.2026 · 01:09, Athens time — What changed:
In a statement dated 18 October 2026, the European Commission condemns arson, attacks on state institutions and property destruction. It calls for a lawful, proportionate response and accountability with due process.
It defends peaceful assembly and expression and welcomes the Albanian authorities’ commitment to protect protest. This is an institutional position, not an independent finding on each incident or certification that the commitment has been fulfilled.
Earlier update — 17 October 2026, 21:08, Athens time
Student-led and anti-government protests continued in Tirana for a fifth day on Saturday, 17 October 2026. Demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation, while fresh clashes were reported around the education ministry and the prime minister’s office.
What on-the-ground reporting records
ERTnews correspondent Timos Fakalis describes stone-throwing, damage and police use of tear gas and water cannon. Reuters reports that police fired towards the crowd with what appeared to be rubber bullets. This is the agency’s reporting, not a technical finding identifying all the ammunition used.
The official disciplinary process
In a separate announcement dated 16 October, the Albanian State Police say two officers were immediately suspended following the publication of video of an intervention at a gathering in Tirana. The statement also announces a disciplinary investigation into exceeding their authority and breaching proportionality.
That particular statement is not a comprehensive, updated tally of every investigation. Suspension and investigation do not amount to a final criminal judgment.
A political demand is not a government decision
The resignation demand remains the protesters’ position. Reuters reports that Rama denies wrongdoing and does not intend to step down. There is no confirmed resignation or change of government. This report does not combine injury or arrest figures drawn from different reporting times into a single total.
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