Albanian Prime Minister refuses to resign as demonstrations continue for the sixth day

Hundreds of protesters gathered on Sunday afternoon in front of the Ministry of Education, demanding the Prime Minister's resignation.

Police intervened to disperse the crowd using water cannons and tear gas, and arrested a number of protesters.

In a video speech lasting over an hour and broadcast on Facebook, Edi Rama ruled out resignation, attributing the demonstrations to the actions of "external forces."

In the city center, several shops and buildings fortified their doors and facades with metal sheets.

Police units were deployed in the capital's streets in the morning, while municipal workers worked to remove paving stones that could be used against security forces.

Writer and activist Lora Elezi (38) told Agence France-Presse that she is demonstrating for "a better life and the rule of law, and against crime and corruption."

She added, "I love my country, but my government does not respect us; it challenges us. Every citizen must take responsibility for their country, and take upon themselves the duty of loving it and not destroying it."

Tirana witnessed the most intense violence on Saturday since the protests began. Protesters pelted police with stones, Molotov cocktails, metal objects, and fireworks, and set fire to cars and trash containers, using them to build barricades to obstruct the advance of police officers.

Police department representative Robert Nushi said in a statement regarding Saturday's demonstration, "Police units arrested 54 people in Tirana. 27 of them were kept in detention, while the other 27 are undergoing criminal prosecution."

Overnight, several buildings, including a courthouse, banks, and a post office, were burned or sustained severe damage.

Police fired rubber bullets at protesters for the first time since the protests began, according to AFP journalists.

According to a report published by the Albanian Ministry of Health on Sunday, 65 people were injured, including 37 police officers, and 12 of the injured were taken to the hospital.

Since Tuesday, 272 people have been injured, including 169 police officers, according to the government.

The US Embassy in Tirana called on "both sides" on Saturday evening on the X platform for "calm" and "restraint," and urged citizens to "exercise their right to protest peacefully, without violent riots."

This week's escalation of unrest comes after months of anti-government protests in the Balkan country, which initially erupted against the backdrop of a controversial project to develop a resort linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.