Confrontations broke out between protesters and riot police in the main cities of Albania, in scenes that the country has not witnessed for decades.
Government buildings were attacked, and some private companies were targeted.
How big are the protests? How strange is it?
The Albanian capital Tirana has seen months of protests, led by an anti-government movement known as “Flamingo,” but what began on Tuesday this week was on a different scale.
The clashes extended beyond Tirana, to include the major cities of Durres, Shkodër, Lije and Vlora in the west, Gjirokaster in the south, and Korça in the east.
The new demonstrations were announced as a student movement, reportedly demanding government action to alleviate the rising costs of tuition and books, as well as the rising cost of living.
Secondary schools joined it, which led to an increase in the number of participants.
Masked protesters quickly began throwing stones at police, who responded with water cannons, tear gas and batons.
Scenes of a young man being carried away after his leg was broken, while he was writhing in pain, sparked widespread anger.
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Although apologies were made for the incident, they did not succeed in calming the situation.
One of the floors of the Ministry of Education was set on fire, and other government institutions also caught fire.
Throughout last summer, for about 135 consecutive days, Albanians gathered in the evening in the center of the capital, Tirana, carrying pictures of pink flamingos, calling on Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is now in his fourth term, to resign.
The protests began because of a huge tourism project on the Adriatic coast linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The protesters said that the flamingo would be extinct in one of its habitats on an island near the coastal city of Vlora if plans to establish a luxury development project went ahead.
This popular anger comes in light of the increasing accusations of corruption against ministers and other senior officials.
One of the deputy prime ministers fled the country, while another deputy was ordered to step down while investigations continued.
Has the Flamengo movement turned towards extremism?
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The Flamengo protesters stress that they are not affiliated with any political party, and among their slogans is: “Rama to prison, Berisha to prison.”
Rama is the current Prime Minister, while Sali Berisha is the main opposition leader in Albania. He also previously held the positions of Prime Minister and President of the Republic.
The protests included young and old people, fathers and mothers with their children, and sometimes their grandparents as well.
Some participants took pride in cleaning the place after each evening's activities.
But after months of protests and an unusually hot summer, the numbers of participants have declined, with no sign that the government will respond to their demands.
The current movement seems much more violent.
Dozens of police officers were injured, while Europe is closely monitoring what will happen next, in a country seen as one of the most prominent candidates for European Union membership.
A number of young protesters told the BBC that what is happening now represents a new phase born from the womb of the previous movement.
A young woman named Livia complained that five months of peaceful protests “were met with humiliation, mockery and ridicule,” adding: “This was a clear message from the government that our voice will not be allowed to be heard.”
Another young woman, Prunela, told the BBC that she was worried about what might happen next: “I am very afraid because the media and the government are reacting strongly now. This was not just my voice, but the voice of Albanian youth.”
There may have been an overlap between the two protest groups, although the leaders of the Flamengo movement did not announce this publicly, nor did any official representative of the student movement appear.
Ultimately, the most prominent concerns of the two movements are related to the issue of corruption, an issue that the Prime Minister says should be subject to judicial investigations.
How does the government deal with unrest?
Prime Minister Edi Rama visited a number of damaged buildings and accused Sali Berisha of fueling the chaos.
He said on Friday: “Everything that is happening is the work of the same hand, the hand that has tightened its grip around the neck of the Albanian opposition, the hand that has burned and destroyed Albania more than once, and is now prepared to burn and destroy it again to prevent any progress. It is a blind battle fueled by the most irrational forms of hatred.”
The Prime Minister rejected the idea of resigning, pledging to "listen to legitimate concerns, address them, and continue to move Albania forward."
The Democratic Party, led by Berisha, often tried to mobilize the street to bring down Rama.
However, the number of his loyal supporters, who also protested for months and sometimes clashed with the police, remained limited compared to the current attendance.
Therefore, some express doubts about Berisha's ability to manage these unrest, although he may seek to exploit it politically.
On the other hand, Albanian media indicated the possible involvement of foreign intelligence services.
Unsubstantiated accusations emerged against Serbia, and some commentators said that Belgrade was upset by the repeated talk about Albania as a potential candidate to join the European Union.
Is Albania a safe tourist destination?
The British government called on visitors to follow the media to obtain the latest information, stay away from “demonstrations, large gatherings or political marches,” and follow the instructions of local authorities.
Albania is a popular tourist destination, and the government in Tirana warned that the violence was harming the country's image, affecting the tourism sector and its path towards joining the European Union.
