Albania: Parliament descends into chaos as MPs clash over protests

Loading the video No Comment Video. Albania: Parliament descends into chaos as MPs clash over protests Copy/paste the link below: Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Updated: 23/10/2026 - 10:05 GMT+2 Heated exchanges and chaotic scenes gripped Albania's parliament in Tirana on Thursday as rival MPs clashed inside, while student demonstrators continued their protests outside for a tenth day. MPs pushed and shoved one another, tore microphones from desks and threw objects across the chamber. Opposition members blocked the podium and banged on desks in an attempt to disrupt proceedings, while other lawmakers continued voting on legislation by raising their cards. Footage showed overturned chairs and repeated confrontations between rival politicians as tensions escalated inside the assembly. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The clashes unfolded against the backdrop of student demonstrations that have gripped the Albanian capital for ten consecutive days. Opposition lawmakers held up photographs of students reportedly injured by police during earlier protests, expressing solidarity with the demonstrators. Outside parliament, crowds of students and supporters gathered behind police cordons, with some protesters pulling down security barriers. Several university professors also joined the demonstration. Protesters shouted that the state should serve the people rather than those in power, as the unrest spilled from the streets into the country's political institutions. Albania Parliament Clashes Students Protests Opposition Top stories Now playing Next Albania: Parliament descends into chaos as MPs clash over protests Now playing Next Taiwan: Deadly Typhoon Champi brings travel chaos and school closures Now playing Next China: Panic as 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Tibet Now playing Next Latest news bulletin | October 23rd, 2026 – Morning Now playing Next Serbia election results expected to be ‘very tight’, analyst says Now playing Next France braces for fresh protests as EU leaders seek Hungary reset Now playing Next Albanian parliament descends into chaos as opposition backs protests Now playing Next Hansel and Gretel in the mountains: parents abandon sons Now playing Next Disappointed after meeting, French unions call for 5 November action Now playing Next Italy's truckers' protests leave supermarket shelves empty Now playing Next Macron decries 'stupid comments' by foreign leaders on France protests Now playing Next Looted Paris shop owner: ‘10 years of work destroyed’ Now playing Next Japan village looks to young Peruvians to tackle ageing population Now playing Next Magnitude 7 earthquake strikes Tibet killing at least 16 people and destroying hundreds of homes Now playing Next Watch: Catholic bishops pray over Trump in the Oval Office Now playing Next Judge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his BBC defamation lawsuit by December 11 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT No Comment France: Artists and collectors gather at Art Basel Paris despite unrest No Comment Germany: Humanoid robots and AI supercomputers take centre stage in Berlin No Comment Ukraine: At least 9 people were killed in Russian attacks over the past 24 hours No Comment Australia: Bystanders dive into floodwaters to save trapped driver Europe News How migration is reshaping the political debate in Spain's Ceuta Belgium Families of missing Azerbaijanis call for support from European institutions Cult Beyond five-star luxury: What's next for hospitality in Qatar? Business Series Beyond oil: The Sectors shaping this country’s economic future Tech News PHP security flaw: Why websites across Europe went dark and what it means for you EU News Russia strikes Kyiv with three cluster-warhead ballistic missiles, Zelenskyy says Europe News Watch: Empty shelves in southern Italy amid truckers’ fuel protests Europe News EU Parliament awards Sakharov Prize to ICC in rebuke of US sanctions ADVERTISEMENT Europe News Italy's truckers' protests leave supermarket shelves empty and airports without fuel Tech News Websites go dark after AI exposes major programming language security flaw World News Moment Colombian authorities seize 7.6 tonnes of cocaine bound for Europe Europe Today 'Everything' in Ukraine is now a target for Putin, says EPP MEP Europe Today Public order a 'big failure of the government', says French MEP Jean-Marc Germain No Comment Serbia: Student protesters flood Belgrade ahead of snap elections Europe Today French police union to sue government over mishandling of riots Ukraine Russian strikes kill 7 in Ukraine after US envoy meets Putin ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT