"State of war" on the streets of Tirana; Protesters tried to set fire to Rama's office PHOTO/VIDEO

The clash escalated as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, RTSH reported. The protest began yesterday around 5 p.m. on “Dëshmoret e Kombit” Boulevard, where representatives of the Democratic Party, including leader Sali Berisha, gave speeches calling for popular uprisings against Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government.

The protesters then marched toward the parliament, where they began throwing Molotov cocktails at both the building and police officers, and a car was also set on fire.

The demonstrations ended around 9 p.m. More than 1,300 police officers were deployed to maintain order, along with water cannons and vehicles equipped with tear gas, while major traffic routes were blocked.

After the protests, dozens of citizens were taken to police stations. A total of 22 people are under police supervision. Authorities claim they participated in illegal activities, while representatives of the Democratic Party are demanding transparency.

A2 CNN journalist Igli Çelmeta reported that the situation at the police station is currently calm, although there was tension between MPs and police officials. Berisha stated that during the protest, Democratic Party MP Bledion Nallbati was injured, and one citizen was shot in the head with a rubber bullet.

As reported yesterday, the opposition demanded the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku over alleged corruption. Interior Minister Albana Koçiu stated on social media that the right to protest was “again violated by a group that chose force over words,” emphasizing that violence can never be a means and that no agenda justifies its use.