TIRANA, Albania (Reuters) – Albanian police fired tear gas to disperse opposition protesters who hurled petrol bombs at government buildings and smashed city property in what they said was part of a civil disobedience against the government.
Protesters accused Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government of corruption, nepotism and trying to silence the opposition.
They also protested against keeping under house arrest opposition party leader Sali Berisha on corruption charges for actions he took when he was prime minister. Berisha has denied any wrongdoing.
They also demanded the release of member of parliament Ervin Salianji who was jailed last week for making what authorities said was a “false report” against the former interior minister.
Salianji has denied any wrongdoing and described the trial as politically motivated.
More than 1,000 police officers were deployed across the streets in capital Tirana as thousands of opposition supporters walked from one building to another hurling petrol bombs, rocks and other solid objects, video from the scene showed.
Protesters clashed outside the office of the Prime Minister Edi Rama and then continued to his Socialist Party headquarters where they burned a Rama poster with petrol bombs. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Demonstrators battled again with police at the interior ministry and office of Tirana’s mayor, who is from Rama’s party.
Protesters then marched across the city, smashing billboards and other municipality property and setting fire to garbage containers.
Police fired more tear gas when protesters approached the parliament.
“He (Rama) should give up, he should resign, he should go away, he should go in jail for the rest of his life,” said protester Gjoke Dreshaj.
“Unite with us, this is a civil disobedience,” another protester Erges Eskiu said through a loudspeaker. “All left and right, pensioners and students, parents, you are all stolen.”
Rama has been in power since 2013 and has won three consecutive elections. Police said 10 officers were injured from petrol bombs and other solid objects.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci and Florion Goga; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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