The center of the Albanian capital became the scene of a large-scale confrontation between opposition supporters and law enforcement during a protest demanding the resignation of the current government. Police were forced to use tear gas and water cannons after protesters began throwing Molotov cocktails and flares at government buildings. This was reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
During the clashes on Tuesday, dozens of people were injured, including sixteen protesters who sustained burns and injuries of varying severity. More than 1,300 police officers were deployed in Tirana to maintain order, and they had to restrain a crowd of several thousand people.
According to official law enforcement data, 13 active participants in the demonstration were arrested after the active phase of the unrest ended.
This is already the third such wave of protests in recent months, accompanied by aggressive actions by demonstrators. Previously, participants in the actions had already used stones and incendiary mixtures against security forces, demanding an immediate reformatting of the executive branch due to systemic scandals.
Corruption scandal and opposition demands
The main reason for the discontent was the accusation of corruption leveled against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Belinda Balluku. The specialized prosecutor's office accuses the official of interfering in state procurement for construction projects in favor of certain companies. Prosecutors have officially appealed to parliament with a demand to lift Balluku's immunity for a full investigation.
Despite a barrage of criticism and mass rallies, Prime Minister Edi Rama currently refuses to dismiss his deputy. The opposition insists that only the resignation of the entire government and the lifting of immunity from those involved in the case will allow an end to the political crisis in the country. Further developments depend on the results of the parliamentary vote on the deputy prime minister's parliamentary immunity.
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