Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced plans for tougher legislation on demonstrations as student-led protests demanding improved education conditions continued in the capital, Tirana.
The protests, which began on October 13, entered their 13th day on Sunday, drawing support from high school students, university faculty members, citizens and trade unions. Some demonstrations have turned violent.
Protesters marched through streets and squares across the capital, gathering first outside the Education Ministry, where they threw stones at the building, before moving to the prime minister’s office.
Tensions escalated as demonstrators threw stones at police and public institutions, while security forces responded with tear gas. Some protesters were injured during clashes in which molotov cocktails were occasionally used.
Rama renewed his calls for dialogue, but protesters rejected the appeals and said they would continue their demonstrations.
Proposed measures target protest conduct
Rama said the current law governing demonstrations dates back to 2001 and does not address digital tools that have become a key part of organising and conducting protests.
The proposed legislative package would introduce fines for organising unauthorised demonstrations, failing to comply with orders to disperse, wearing masks during protests and obstructing traffic.
It would also provide compensation for businesses affected by demonstrations, impose penalties on participants in violent protests and amend the Criminal Code.
The measures would further require the removal of social media posts calling for violence and allow legal proceedings against those responsible.
The proposals come as student demonstrators continue to press for better education conditions despite the government’s calls for dialogue.
Protests in Albania since June
Earlier in June, thousands of protesters gathered in Tirana under the slogan “Albania is not for sale,” over a planned tourism project linked to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
The project aims to transform Sazan Island and parts of the nearby Narta-Zvernec wetland and lagoon area into a luxury tourism destination, claiming 250 hectares within the protected coastal ecosystem.
The resort project is being pursued by Kushner's investment firm and has received support from the Albanian government.
Demonstrators raised environmental concerns and accused authorities of opening protected areas to large-scale construction projects.
