Albanian protests enter sixth day as PM Edi Rama rejects resignation calls

Summary

Anti-government protests in Tirana, Albania, entered their sixth day on Sunday as Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected calls to resign, and police fired water cannon and tear gas at demonstrators, according to the South China Morning Post. Violent demonstrations have rocked Tirana since Tuesday, with protesters demanding action on poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption. Deutsche Welle reports that protesters continued calling for Rama to step down amid renewed clashes with police. The New York Times reports that students upset by living and educational costs revived the protests and that Rama said demonstrators were being used by outside forces. Fox News reports that thousands are demanding Rama's resignation over alleged corruption, that US lawmakers sounded the alarm over the violence in NATO ally Albania, and that Rama has blamed outside agitators. Al Jazeera reports that protesters say demonstrations will intensify as Rama rejects calls to resign.

Timeline

1. Deutsche Welle

   18 Oct 2026, 19:47 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that anti-government protesters continued calling for Rama to step down as violent clashes between demonstrators and police persisted.

2. The New York Times

   18 Oct 2026, 20:24 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that students upset by living and educational costs revived the protests, and that Rama said demonstrators were being used by outside forces.

3. South China Morning Post

   18 Oct 2026, 23:04 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that protests entered their sixth day on Sunday, with police using water cannon and tear gas as Rama rejected demands to resign.

4. Fox News

   19 Oct 2026, 10:43 UTCSource ↗

   Fox News reports that US lawmakers sounded the alarm over violence gripping NATO ally Albania amid anti-government protests, with thousands demanding Rama's resignation and Rama blaming outside agitators.

5. Al Jazeera

   19 Oct 2026, 14:46 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that protesters say demonstrations will intensify as Prime Minister Edi Rama rejects calls to resign.