Reuters: Albanian students protest for education, jobs and clash with police

The student protest in Tirana has also drawn the attention of international media. The Reuters news agency dedicated a report to Tuesday’s demonstration, which was accompanied by tensions and clashes between protesters and police in front of the Ministry of Education.

According to Reuters, protesters threw bricks and concrete blocks at the ministry building, while police responded with tear gas and pressurized water.

In its report, the international agency highlights that students have raised concerns about conditions in universities, the costs of higher education, financial support, and employment opportunities after graduation.

Reuters also brings testimony from protesters, who express dissatisfaction with social inequality and the gap between the rich and the poor in the country.

“What Albania needs is a revolution, a change, a complete overthrow of the system because it cannot continue like this,” said protester Luljeta Kola, adding that there is deep social injustice in the country and a gap between the rich and the poor.

The event has also been covered in the context of a broader wave of student activism in Europe, where young people are organizing protests to improve conditions in educational institutions. The agency cites the example of protests in France.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu has condemned the acts of violence, stating that attacks on institutions and the State Police, as well as damage to public property, are not the right way to express grievances.