Anti-government demonstrations in Albania erupted in clashes for five consecutive days; police used rubber bullets for the first time

Anti-government protests in Tirana, the capital of Albania, witnessed violent clashes for the fifth consecutive day on the 17th. The police also used rubber bullets for the first time, which are restricted by law to extreme circumstances. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has vowed to listen to the demands of demonstrators, but protesting students dissatisfied with the government and high tuition fees are still calling for Rama to step down.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Albanian Ministry of Education around noon on the 17th. As the crowd expanded and spread across Tirana, the demonstrations turned into violent conflicts. Protesters threw stones at the police and set fire to trash cans, using them as roadblocks to block the police's advance.

An AFP reporter at the scene witnessed the police using rubber bullets for the first time in this wave of protests. Albanian police previously used water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protest crowds.

A staff member at the makeshift first aid station named Paula said that three people came to receive treatment for injuries to their heads, eyes and legs, allegedly from rubber bullets.

Under Albanian law, police are only allowed to use rubber bullets in extreme circumstances. Redi Taku, a sports student who participated in the protest, said that this is the first time the police have used rubber bullets since the start of this wave of protests; there are many minors aged 16 and 17 among the protesters, and the police are taking extreme measures.

Anti-government demonstrations in Albania have been going on for months. They were initially motivated by dissatisfaction with the development of a luxury resort on the southern coast of Albania related to US President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Now the protests have shifted to dissatisfaction with rising tuition fees and government corruption.