Two separate protests took place in Tirana on Saturday, one organised by students and the other by the opposition Democratic Party.

Students gathered outside the Ministry of Education. Democratic Party supporters marched from the Prime Minister’s Office towards the Education ministry, seeking to join the students. The students rejected their participation, saying their protest was independent of political parties. Verbal confrontations followed before the situation calmed and the students continued their protest.

Protesters later moved towards Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard. Reports from the scene said some masked protesters threw stones at police officers. Protesters also threw Molotov cocktails and fireworks towards police near the Prime Minister’s Office.

Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. The area between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Boulevard Bridge was subsequently cleared.

/a.p./