Violence breaks out at anti-government protest in Albanian capital

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TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters throwing Molotov cocktails and flares during a demonstration Tuesday night in central Tirana by thousands of opposition supporters demanding the resignation of Albania’s government.

Sixteen protesters were treated in a hospital for burns and other injuries, police said, adding that 13 protesters were arrested.

Prime Minister Edi Rama's government has come under fire over corruption allegations involving Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, but Rama has resisted calls to dismiss her. There have been growing demands that lawmakers lift Balluku's immunity from prosecution, which can only be done in a parliamentary vote.

Anti-corruption prosecutors have accused Balluku, who is also minister for energy and infrastructure, of interfering in public procurement for construction projects to favor certain companies, and has called for her immunity to be lifted.

Tuesday night’s protest in the Albanian capital was attended by thousands of people. It was the third such demonstration in recent months demanding Rama’s resignation. More than 1,300 police officers had been deployed to ensure security. Previous protests also turned violent, with demonstrators throwing Molotov cocktails and rocks at police and a government building, and with authorities responding with tear gas and water cannons.

Opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha, a former prime minister who has also faced corruption charges himself, described the protest as a “peaceful uprising” at a critical moment for Albania. Speaking at the protest, he accused Rama of “declaring war on the justice system.”

Political analyst Mentor Kikia said it was unlikely that any major change would result from the protests. “Citizens are distrustful, having consistently voted for the lesser evil to remove the greater evil from power,” he said.

“The current perception is that if Rama leaves, Berisha will return. One left power because of corruption, the other must also leave power because of corruption,” Kikia said.

Albania hopes to join the European Union, and is under close monitoring by the bloc as part of its accession process, which it hopes to complete by 2027.

However, international watchdogs say the country continues to suffer from widespread corruption.