Albanian opposition MPs set off smoke flares in parliament unrest
Opposition lawmakers disrupted Albania's parliament with smoke flares on Thursday, as weeks of anti-government protests over police violence and corruption continue.
Incidents in this story
- Tirana · Thursday: Opposition MPs disrupt parliament with smoke flares
- Tirana · 24 October: Protester Erjon Vishkull seriously injured in the eye (1 injured)
Opposition Democratic Party MPs set off smoke flares and blocked the podium in Albania's parliament on Thursday, during a vote on central bank legislation that governing Socialist Party lawmakers pushed ahead with regardless, Euronews reported. Four opposition MPs were expelled from the chamber.
Two Democratic Party deputies, Saimir Korreshi and Xhelal Mziu, appeared in parliament with an eye bandaged in solidarity with Erjon Vishkull, a 28-year-old man seriously injured in his left eye during a 24 October protest in Tirana, BalkanWeb reported. Vishkull underwent two operations, first in Albania and then at Rome's Gemelli clinic, where doctors successfully removed a foreign object from his eye on 28 October, Health Minister Klodiana Spahiu said; whether his sight will fully recover remains to be assessed.
Tirana prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Vishkull's injury and are examining whether police used disproportionate force, reviewing security camera footage and his medical records, BalkanWeb reported. Investigators are working with Italian authorities to obtain the object removed from his eye for forensic analysis, to determine whether it was a rubber bullet or another object.
Opposition MPs brought photographs of other protesters they say were injured by police into the chamber; Euronews said the allegations in the images are not independently established. The unrest followed similar scenes on 22 October, when opposition MPs surrounded the speaker's podium and threw objects, forcing parliamentary guards to intervene, Euronews reported.
Student-led protests demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation have continued since mid-October, with close to 350 people injured, including police officers, and dozens of protesters arrested in repeated clashes, Sud Ouest reported. The government introduced fines of up to 500,000 leks (5,500 euros) for violent protesters on Wednesday, more than five times the average monthly salary of 930 euros.
Rama has blamed "foreign actors," including Russia and Iran, for disinformation campaigns fuelling the unrest, Sud Ouest reported. The protests began in May over a disputed tourism development linked to associates of US President Donald Trump, and have since broadened into wider anger over corruption, opposition MPs say.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Euronews, Sud Ouest Opposition Democratic Party MPs set off smoke flares and blocked the podium in Albania's parliament on Thursday during a central bank vote; four were expelled from the chamber.
- Official · Health Minister Spahiu Two MPs wore an eye bandage in solidarity with Erjon Vishkull, 28, seriously injured in the eye during an 24 October protest; he underwent a second operation in Rome that successfully removed a foreign object from his eye, Albania's health minister said.
- Official · Tirana prosecutors Tirana prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Vishkull's injury and are examining possible disproportionate use of force by police.
- 1 outlet · Sud Ouest Student-led protests demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation have continued since mid-October, injuring close to 350 people including police officers.
- Official · Albanian government The government introduced fines of up to 500,000 leks (5,500 euros) for violent protesters on Wednesday.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Whether Vishkull's eyesight will fully recover has not yet been determined.
- Unconfirmed Whether the object removed from Vishkull's eye was a rubber bullet has not been confirmed; this is the subject of ongoing forensic analysis.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
The protests, now in their second week, have widened from a dispute over a tourism development to broader anger over corruption and policing, with parliament itself twice disrupted by physical confrontation between lawmakers. Erjon Vishkull's case, and the prosecutors' investigation into possible disproportionate police force, has become a rallying point for the opposition and a test of how Albania's institutions respond to allegations against its own security forces.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- BalkanWeb: Me syrin e fashuar në Kuvend, Korreshi dhe Mziu solidarizohen me Erjon Vishkullin, të riun e plagosur gjatë protestës së studentëve
- Euronews: Albania: opposition MPs disrupt parliament with smoke flares
- Sud Ouest: Crise politique en Albanie : après des tensions dans la rue, des députés de l’opposition tirent des fumigènes au Parlement
- News247: Εικόνες χάους στη Βουλή της Αλβανίας: Καπνογόνα από βουλευτές της αντιπολίτευσης
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Albania's parliament?
- Opposition MPs set off smoke flares and blocked the podium on Thursday during a vote, and four were expelled from the chamber, Euronews reported.
- Who is Erjon Vishkull?
- A 28-year-old man seriously injured in the eye during a 24 October protest in Tirana; he had a second operation in Rome, and prosecutors are investigating whether police used disproportionate force.
- How big have the protests been?
- Close to 350 people, including police officers, have been injured in clashes since mid-October, and dozens of protesters have been arrested, Sud Ouest reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.