18.10.2026 23:20
As anti-government protests in Albania’s capital, Tirana, enter their sixth day, tensions in the streets are escalating. In the city, where demonstrators targeted ministry buildings and clashes occurred, a bombshell claim came from Prime Minister Edi Rama. After incidents in which the ruling party’s headquarters was stoned and a fire broke out at the Ministry of Infrastructure due to Molotov cocktails, Rama announced that the Prime Minister’s Office building had been targeted by an explosives-laden drone.
Anti-government protests in Albania’s capital, Tirana, saw violent incidents on their sixth day. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that the Prime Minister’s Office building had been targeted two days earlier by an explosives-laden drone and that the vehicle had been neutralized. During the demonstrations, the ruling party’s headquarters was stoned, while a fire broke out at the Ministry of Infrastructure building due to Molotov cocktails.
RAMA: THEY TARGETED THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE BUILDING In a statement on his social media account, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama claimed that “a foreign hand” was involved in the protests and accused Iran of disinformation.
Rama said, “Two days ago, an explosives-laden drone targeting the Prime Minister’s Office building was neutralized. They planned to hit the building and set the courtyard on fire.” However, no independent verification of the claims regarding the drone was shared.
During his statement, Rama picked up a paving stone that he said had been removed during the protests to be thrown at police, and argued that it was a weapon that could cause fatal consequences.
“THE TARGET IS NOT ME, BUT ALBANIA’S EU MEMBERSHIP” Rama, arguing that the real target of the protests was not himself or his government but Albania’s European Union accession process, brought up the country’s goal of joining the EU in 2030.
Rama stated that the state would not yield to violence and also expressed that they were open to dialogue to resolve the problems experienced.
Rama’s statements came after the RENEA special forces, which operate in the fields of counterterrorism and intervention in serious crimes, were deployed to the Prime Minister’s Office building.
BERISHA CALLS ON RAMA TO RESIGN Sali Berisha, Chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (PD), called on Prime Minister Rama to resign. Berisha described the statement that a drone attack had been carried out on the Prime Minister’s Office building as “fiction” and accused the government of corruption.
Berisha argued that the only solution for ensuring normalization in the country was Rama’s resignation and supported the protesters’ demands.
SOCIALIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS STONED On the sixth day of the protests, demonstrators again gathered in front of the Ministry of Education. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd.
As tensions escalated, demonstrators advanced toward the center of Tirana. The crowd gathered in front of the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party threw stones at the building and struck the entrance door, causing the glass to break. Police responded to the demonstrators with gas.
Protests in Albania continue on their 6th day FIRE BREAKS OUT AT MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING During the demonstrations, Molotov cocktails thrown at the Ministry of Infrastructure building caused a fire. Fire crews responded to the fire that broke out at the main entrance and front section of the building.
In Skanderbeg Square, where fierce clashes took place, protesters and police also faced off. Some young demonstrators headed toward the surroundings of the square after police used water cannon and tear gas. The demonstrators continued their anti-government actions and their demands for Rama’s resignation.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION REACTS TO VIOLENCE The European Commission condemned the violence during protests in Tirana and other cities. In the statement, while emphasizing that the interventions of security forces must be lawful and proportionate, attention was drawn to the importance of the peaceful use of freedom of assembly and expression.
The Commission welcomed the Albanian authorities’ commitment to protecting the right to protest while calling on the parties to engage in dialogue.