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Police in Tirana fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters on Saturday, the fifth day of mass student demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama step down. Reuters footage showed a shotgun firing toward crowds outside the education ministry, with rubber pellets found on the ground and striking two journalists and several demonstrators. The incident marks an escalation in clashes that have engulfed central Tirana, where demonstrators have burned government buildings, hurled rocks, and faced tear gas and water cannons. Police chief Skender Hita confirmed the use of rubber bullets and said seven officers were suspended for exceeding authority and failing to respect proportionality. The protests, fueled by anger over corruption, unemployment, and poor education, pose the biggest challenge yet to Rama, who last year won a fourth term. Policymakers condemned the unrest and called for calm, while Hita noted 1,067 people had been arrested and 388 criminally

By Lauren B. | JQJO News