Protests outside the Ministry of Education: 16 arrested, 49 prosecuted and 6 officers injured

Tirana Police have announced that they arrested 16 people following a protest held on Tuesday outside the Ministry of Education. A further 49 people have also been criminally prosecuted over the events during the rally.

According to police, six officers were injured during the protest as a result of stones, hard objects, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails thrown at them.

The official statement said the rally took place on 13 October 2026, at around 2 p.m., outside the Ministry of Education. Several masked participants allegedly threw hard objects, stones, firecrackers, Molotov cocktails and other items at police, state institutions, private entities and public spaces.

As a result, the surrounding railings, walls and windows of the Ministry of Education were damaged, as were the railings along the sidewalks, advertising signs and road signs.

Objects inside a microfinance institution were broken and burned, while the glass facade of a second-tier bank was also damaged.

Police said that on “Ded Gjon Luli” Street, one of the two doors of the Tirana Municipality building was forcibly broken and the first floor was set on fire.

According to the statement, officers assigned to duty faced repeated acts of violence throughout the rally, including stones, hard objects, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails thrown by groups of masked protesters. Six police officers were injured.

Under the direction of the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office and following procedural actions, the following people were arrested in flagrante delicto: K. V., 41; F. B., 48; A. B., 40; G. I., 57; E. K., 32; I. S., 38; B. K., 59; D. V., 55; E. Z., 30; H. B., 52; O. V., 35; Xh. P., 27; K. M., 23; B. Gj., 31; K. H., 38; and K. A., 32.

They are accused of “Assault because of duty,” “Disturbance of public order and peace,” “Violation of regulations on explosive and incendiary substances,” “Theft from banks and savings banks,” “Destruction of property,” “Destruction of property by fire,” “Resistance to a public order officer” and “Unauthorized production, possession, purchase or sale of bladed weapons.” Forty-nine other citizens have also been criminally prosecuted in connection with the same events.

The investigation team, in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office, is continuing work to identify other people suspected of involvement in the violence against police, state institutions and private entities. The investigation also aims to fully document, in legal terms, the actions carried out during the rally on 13 October 2026. The procedural materials have been referred to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office for further action.