Photos: Student protest in Albania prompts violent clashes with police

In PicturesSaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkPolice officers hold a demonstrator as Albanian students take part in an antigovernment protest in Tirana, Albania. [Florion Goga/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and ReutersPublished On 14 Oct 202614 Oct 2026Student protests over education and social inequality in Albania turned violent as police clashed with demonstrators in the capital, Tirana.On Tuesday, hundreds of students hurled bricks and concrete blocks at the Education Ministry building, prompting security forces to respond with tear gas and water cannon. Police detained several protesters as the confrontation spilled into nearby streets.Student organisers said the nationwide protest was driven by deteriorating conditions at universities, high education costs, limited financial support and bleak employment prospects after graduation. Some also voiced anger at widening inequality and a political system they see as failing young people.“What Albania needs is a revolution, a change, a complete overthrow of the system because it can’t go on like this,” protester Luljeta Kola said, describing “deep social injustice” and a growing gulf between rich and poor.Deputy Prime Minister Albana Kociu condemned the unrest, writing on Facebook that “violence has not been, is not, and will never be a solution”.The demonstration comes amid a broader wave of student activism across Europe, including weeks of high school protests and blockades in France.Riot police fire tear gas and water cannon in central Tirana as hundreds of students rally to demand Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation and better education. [Florion Goga/Reuters]Protesters smash the Education Ministry building’s windows, tear down its perimeter fence and set billboards on fire during the clashes in the Albanian capital. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]Medical aid workers assist an injured man with a broken leg during clashes. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]Police in riot gear brace behind shields as Molotov cocktails, firecrackers and stones rain down from crowds refusing to disperse. [Florion Goga/Reuters]Police officers hold a demonstrator as Albanian students hold an antigovernment protest. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]As night falls, protesters of all ages remain face-to-face with police, keeping tensions high in the streets around the ministry. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]A riot police officer detains an injured protester during clashes near the Education Ministry in Tirana. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]A demonstrator is treated for tear gas exposure as Albanian students hold an antigovernment protest. [Florion Goga/Reuters]The demonstration comes amid a broader wave of student activism across Europe. [Florion Goga/Reuters]