Student protests in the Albanian capital Tirana are escalating

There were violent protests against the government's education policy for the second day in a row in the Albanian capital Tirana. Students set garbage cans on fire and tore down barriers in front of the Ministry of Education, local media reported.

They received support from high school students who left class and joined the protests. The opposition Democratic Party of former head of state and government Sali Berisha reportedly canceled a meeting of the parliamentary group in order to also support the demonstrators.

The day before there had been violent riots during protests. Authorities reported several arrests and dozens of complaints. The demonstrations were mainly due to poor career prospects, against tuition fees and the prevailing conditions at universities.

On Tuesday afternoon, several hundred people demonstrated peacefully in front of the Ministry of Education, as the a2news.com portal reported. Riots followed at several locations in the city center, with shops and banks reportedly damaged and the city government headquarters stormed.

The police used water cannons, tear gas and batons. There are also said to have been attacks on bystanders and disproportionate violence. Five officials were suspended, as reported by the euronews.al portal.

The new wave of protests intensifies the ongoing domestic political crisis in Albania. Demonstrators of the so-called "Flamingo" protests have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama's government since May. The trigger was a controversial construction project by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner in a nature reserve.