Albania's student-led protests entered a tenth day on Thursday, October 22, with Prime Minister Edi Rama making a symbolic new offer of talks — and the protesters rejecting it again. Rama had stone benches bearing the word “Dialogue” placed outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tirana, a day after protesters broke chairs he had earlier set out as a similar invitation to sit and talk, according to Oculus News reporting from the capital.
Source: Oculus News
The students, joined by high-school pupils and university staff, refused to negotiate and repeated the demand that has driven the movement since it began outside the Education Ministry on October 13: lower tuition costs, more spending on education, action against corruption — and Rama's resignation. A boycott of teaching at public universities, announced by the university academic staff union, added to the pressure on the government.
Albania's Ministry of Health says 320 people have been injured since the protests began on October 13 — 192 police officers, 92 demonstrators and 36 bystanders, six of them media workers, one a foreign national. Nine people were still being treated at the trauma hospital, and one person's surgery was completed successfully, the ministry said.
The figures were reported by regional media citing the health ministry, and they update an earlier official count of 295 injured before Monday's clashes. The Associated Press reported that police fired tear gas and used water cannon on the eighth straight day of demonstrations on Tuesday, and that 271 people had been arrested during the first seven days, with police later saying 388 people faced criminal charges over the unrest.
Source: AP via The Morning Post
Albania's ombudsman's office has warned of possible violations of detainees' rights during the crackdown. After visiting police stations and hospitals, it recorded complaints of excessive use of force, unlawful detentions and poor conditions in holding rooms, and called on authorities to respect detainees' rights and investigate the allegations of police violence.
Source: RTCG via Srpske.rs
Rama, in power since 2013 and serving a fourth term, has rejected the resignation calls. He says he is ready to discuss justified concerns about education costs without preconditions, but will not negotiate with people involved in violence, and he has argued the unrest threatens Albania's path towards European Union membership. His government denies the protesters' corruption allegations. In earlier days of the protests, demonstrators set bins and barricades alight, broke windows and damaged government buildings, banks and a police station, while police responded with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets, according to AP and Reuters reporting.
The movement grew out of months of lower-level anti-government protest, including the so-called Flamingo movement against a luxury coastal resort project, before students joined in large numbers this month. Protests have also been reported in Lezhë, Vlorë, Elbasan and Shkodër. Thursday's protest in Tirana ended with a march to Skanderbeg Square, with no sign that either side is ready to back down.
What is solid
- Protests began outside the Education Ministry on October 13 and entered a tenth day on October 22
- The health ministry puts the injured at 320, including 192 police officers
- Rama has refused to resign and says he will talk without preconditions, but not with people involved in violence
What is only claimed
- Protesters allege government corruption; Rama's administration denies the allegations
- The ombudsman has recorded complaints of excessive police force and unlawful detention; these remain allegations under review, not established findings