Albanian PM blames ‘foreign hands’ for unrest as student protests intensify

Riot police clash with protesters for fourth day, as young Albanians protest corruption and poor university conditionsAlbanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has blamed “foreign hands” for the increasingly violent student-led protests that are calling on him to resign.Riot police clashed with protesters outside the education ministry for the fourth day in a row, as thousands of young Albanians marched through the capital, Tirana, on Friday to protest government corruption and poor university conditions.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Each country goes its own way’: How Balkan politics shape ties with Israellist 2 of 3‘Boiling point’: Why students are protesting against Albania’s Edi Ramalist 3 of 3Albania’s PM dismisses calls to resign as student protests spreadend of list“This is not a student phenomenon,” Rama said in a video address on Friday. He said there were “foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace”.Rama insisted that the protest had “absolutely nothing to do with the hardships, problems or legitimate aspirations of anyone who desires a better life”.Police officers used water cannon and tear gas as demonstrators hurled rocks.The protests have spread beyond the capital to Elbasan, Shkodra and Korca, where demonstrators broke windows and set fire to rubbish bins, local media reported.The ongoing escalation follows months of mostly peaceful demonstrations, originally sparked by the sale of part of Albania’s coastline to a luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.Days of unrest have increasingly targeted banks and government buildings. Protesters hurled bricks and concrete blocks at the education ministry on Tuesday. They also set fire to several buildings across the city, including the prime minister’s office, the finance and justice ministry buildings and branches of several banks.According to a police statement, 160 people were detained over alleged acts of violence on Thursday evening.