Protesters Hurl Fireworks At Albania PM's Office Amid Unrest Over Corruption Scandal | Video

Last Updated:February 21, 2026, 20:10 IST

Police and protesters clashed near the Parliament building for over two hours, and several people were arrested after demonstrators hurled petrol bombs at the PM's office.

Albanian police on Friday fired water cannon and tear gas to bring under control widespread anti-corruption protests by members of the opposition party who hurled fireworks and homemade petrol bombs at the Prime Minister’s office.

Thousands of followers of the Democratic Party (PD) of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha first gathered outside the government headquarters, demanding that socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama quit amid a corruption scandal that prompted the resignation of the Deputy PM, AFP reported.

“We will save Albania from Edi Rama, who has plunged the country into poverty and corruption. He is just a political corpse," Berisha said before cutting his speech short as some protesters launched fireworks and petrol bombs at the building.

Police and protesters clashed near the Parliament building for over two hours. Police said about 30 people were arrested, while the Democratic Party said about 40 of its supporters had been detained. Interior Minister Albana Kociu condemned the “vandalism" by the demonstrators, saying it was a “crime" to attack police.

Protests had become frequent in Albania since November, when deputy PM Belinda Balluku, a close associate of Rama, was suspended over a corruption scandal that is now under investigation. A special prosecutor indicted Balluku over the scandal, although he has rejected the allegations.

Several former ministers in Rama’s governments have also been targeted by corruption probes, marking a setback for the Albanian PM who won a fourth consecutive term last month.

Aiming to join the European Union by 2030, Albanian politics has frequently been marked by bitter quarrels inside and outside parliament between the left-wing and right-wing parties, who regularly accuse each other of corruption and working with organised crime.

Berisha was also accused of awarding public contracts to associates when he was in power, but denied the accusations.

(with inputs from AFP)

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