Overview
- Thousands rallied at the prime minister’s office and parliament, throwing Molotov cocktails and flares as police used water cannon and tear gas.
- Authorities said more than 1,300 officers were deployed, with at least 16 police injured and 13 people arrested.
- Protesters demanded Prime Minister Edi Rama resign and pressed for Belinda Balluku’s dismissal and the lifting of her immunity.
- Anti-corruption prosecutors accuse Balluku of steering public tenders for infrastructure projects to favored firms; she denies the allegations as politically motivated.
- Opposition leader Sali Berisha led the rally and called more demonstrations, including on February 20, while the unrest clouds Albania’s EU membership bid.