Albanian police fire rubber bullets as protests against Rama escalate

Five days of clashes rock Tirana as students join a wider movement demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation.Police in Albania have fired rubber bullets at antigovernment protesters in the capital, Tirana, as violent clashes intensify over demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign.The clashes continued on Saturday for a fifth consecutive day after high school and university students joined a broader movement against Rama, whose governing centre-left Socialist Party has held power since 2013.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2‘Boiling point’: Why students are protesting against Albania’s Edi Ramalist 2 of 2Albania’s PM blames ‘foreign hands’ for protestsend of listThe unrest has brought growing anger over education, unemployment and alleged corruption into a wider confrontation with the government.Protesters threw stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at police near Rama’s office and elsewhere in central Tirana.Some set cars and rubbish bins alight, creating burning barricades across streets.Police responded with tear gas, water cannon and baton charges as demonstrators pushed against security lines.The AFP news agency reported that officers used rubber bullets for the first time since the demonstrations began.National police chief Skender Hita confirmed their use at a news conference on Saturday, saying they had been deployed “in a limited manner”.The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said nine protesters and four police officers received medical treatment on Saturday.Hita said 167 people had been arrested over five days of unrest, while 132 officers had been injured.Seven police officers were also suspended pending investigations into allegations that they had exceeded their authority.Rama, who is serving his fourth term and has refused to resign, visited businesses damaged during the unrest on Saturday. He promised to listen to students and protect their right to demonstrate, while warning against further destruction.