The protesters, led by members of the main opposition force, the Democratic Party, gathered in the small Balkan country’s capital, demanding the resignation of left-wing Prime Minister Edi Rama, RT reported.
A group of rioters threw incendiary projectiles at the government headquarters and police officers, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. According to local media, the clashes lasted for several hours.
Speaking at the rally, Democratic Party leader and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha denounced Rama as a “political corpse.”
“We will save Albania from Edi Rama, who has plunged the country into poverty and corruption,” Berisha told the crowd, as cited by AFP. He blamed the government for “escalation” and accused the police of firing tear gas at the courtyard of his party’s office.
Interior Minister Albana Kociu accused the opposition leaders of “incitement to violence” and urged them to call on their supporters to refrain from action that could “endanger citizens, police, and journalists.”