Albania's prime minister refuses to resign as protests turn violent
Albania's prime minister, Edi Rama, said Thursday that he will not resign. Student-led protests against his government had turned violent for a third day. Police used water cannon and tear gas on crowds in the capital, Tirana, and 89 people were hurt in earlier clashes.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Thursday that he will not step down, as student-led protests against his government turned violent for a third straight day in the capital, Tirana, Al Jazeera and the Guardian reported.
"My responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward," Rama said in a written statement to Reuters. He said that some forces "do not want Albania to succeed," adding, "But I will not allow violence to derail Albania's European future," Reuters reported.
"Governments are changed through democratic elections. We had elections last year, not a revolution," Rama told Reuters, according to the Guardian.
Riot police used water cannon and tear gas against crowds on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported. Protesters had circulated an "ultimatum" demanding Rama resign by 1 p.m. local time, according to Al Jazeera. The protests also spread to several smaller cities as students joined university boycotts, Al Jazeera said.
Albania's Health Ministry said hospitals in Tirana treated 89 people after Wednesday's protests, including 61 police officers, and police said 65 people were arrested, Al Jazeera reported. Residents woke to smashed shop fronts, and some government buildings and banks were burned, the Guardian reported. Al Jazeera said bus stops and traffic lights were broken.
Protesters have gathered since June, the Guardian said, first over a planned luxury resort on protected coastline backed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Demonstrators have also accused officials of corruption and of neglecting education, Al Jazeera reported. Rama's government denies corruption, and he said he was ready to discuss rising education costs, according to Al Jazeera.
Rama, who won a fourth term last year, has pledged to bring Albania into the European Union by 2030, the Guardian reported. "There is no prognosis. Nobody can say what will come next," Afrim Krasniqi of the Albanian Institute for Political Studies said, according to the Guardian.
What we know: Rama refused to resign, and clashes went on for a third day.
What we don't: Whether talks with students will happen, or how long the protests will last.
Where outlets agree Al Jazeera and the Guardian both report that Rama rejected calls to resign as clashes in Tirana went on for a third day.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.