Protesters set fire to Tirana's Court of Appeal on seventh day of unrest
Masked attackers broke into the building and set it alight as clashes spread across Albania, with over 310 people hurt since protests began on 13 October.
Incidents in this story
- Court of Appeal, Tirana · Monday, 7th day of protests: Protesters set fire to the Court of Appeal building in Tirana
- government headquarters, Tirana · Monday evening: Police disperse crowd outside government headquarters with tear gas
- Kurbin · Monday: Violent clashes also reported in Kurbin, northern Albania
Masked protesters broke the windows of Albania's Court of Appeal in Tirana on Monday, entered the building and set it on fire before fleeing, local broadcaster A2 CNN reported, according to Observador. The attack came on the seventh consecutive day of student-led protests against the Albanian government, which is a candidate for European Union membership.
Police arrested five people and declared 15 others wanted over the attack on the court, Koha and Gazeta Express reported. At least 310 people have been injured since the protests began on 13 October, including 191 police officers, 88 protesters and 31 bystanders, according to Euronews Albania and ABC News Albania.
Monday's unrest began with a peaceful student gathering outside the education ministry that turned violent after demonstrators threw stones at security forces, Observador reported. By evening, police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd gathered outside the government's headquarters, according to footage from broadcaster News24.
Seven people received medical treatment after Monday's protest alone, including a police officer, a minor among the protesters, media representatives and passers-by, Euronews Albania reported. All were in stable condition except one international media worker, who was treated and released. A Greek journalist was separately injured in the ear during the unrest, Gazeta Express reported.
Albanian authorities are also investigating bomb threats sent by email to state institutions from a hacked account based in Saudi Arabia, Observador reported. Violent clashes were also reported in the northern town of Kurbin and the southern city of Vlore on Monday.
Accounts of the overall number of people detained since the unrest began differ: one Albanian outlet reported 68 arrests, while Observador, citing official figures, said police had detained more than 240 protesters and were investigating more than 400 people in total.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has ruled out resigning, met senior police officials on Monday and announced a 2,500-euro bonus and a pay rise for officers deployed against the unrest, Observador reported. Rama said violent protesters needed psychological help and announced sanctions for those involved in the violence, blaming disinformation networks from Russia and Iran, as well as far-left groups, for the unrest.
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What we know
- Masked protesters broke into Albania's Court of Appeal in Tirana on Monday and set it on fire, on the seventh day of anti-government protests, Observador reported.
- Police arrested five people and declared 15 others wanted over the court attack, Koha and Gazeta Express reported.
- At least 310 people have been injured since protests began on 13 October, including 191 police officers, 88 protesters and 31 bystanders, Euronews Albania and ABC News Albania reported.
- Police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse crowds outside government headquarters on Monday evening, Observador reported.
- Prime Minister Edi Rama announced bonuses and a pay rise for police, and blamed Russian and Iranian disinformation networks, as well as far-left groups, for the unrest.
Not yet confirmed
- The overall number of people detained since the protests began is disputed: one outlet reported 68 arrests, while Observador cited official figures of more than 240 detained.
- The origin of bomb threats sent to state institutions, reportedly from a hacked account based in Saudi Arabia, had not been confirmed.
Why it matters for Europe
The current unrest follows months of mostly peaceful mass protests against a tourism development in an ecologically protected area, a project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Observador reported. Albania is a candidate for European Union membership, and the scale of the crackdown, with more than 310 people injured in a week, has drawn attention from NATO allies; Fox News reported that US lawmakers had voiced concern over the violence in the country.
Sources
Reported by 21 reports from 15 independent outlets in 5 countries.
- Sveriges Radio Ekot: Våldsamma protester mot regeringen i Albanien: ”Stor ilska”
- Koha: Arrestohen 5 persona, 15 tjerë në kërkim për sulmin ndaj Gjykatës së Apelit
- Gazeta Express: Sulmi ndaj Gjykatës së Apelit në Tiranë, Policia arreston 5 protestues, shpall në kërkim 15 të tjerë
- Gazeta Express: Lëndohet gazetari grek gjatë protestës në Tiranë, pëson dëmtime në vesh
- Dukagjini: Bilanci i protestës në Tiranë: 68 të arrestuar, 20 policë të lënduar
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Why was Tirana's Court of Appeal set on fire?
- Masked protesters broke in and set the building alight on the seventh day of anti-government protests in Albania, Observador reported.
- How many people have been hurt in Albania's protests?
- At least 310 people have been injured since 13 October, including 191 police officers, 88 protesters and 31 bystanders, Euronews Albania and ABC News Albania reported.
- How has the Albanian government responded?
- Police arrested five people and are seeking 15 others over the court attack; Prime Minister Edi Rama announced bonuses for police and blamed foreign disinformation and far-left groups for the unrest.
This article was written with AI assistance from 24 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.