Thousands of people took to the streets of Albania’s capital Tirana on Saturday in an anti-government protest sparked by the indictment of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku over alleged corruption linked to major infrastructure projects.
Demonstrators gathered near government buildings, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s administration and demanding its resignation. Some protesters hurled petrol bombs at a government complex housing the prime minister’s office, prompting a heavy police response.
Riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons to push back the crowd as clashes broke out, with officers forming barricades around key state institutions to prevent further damage.
Political tensions in the Balkan country have intensified since last month after prosecutors accused Balluku, along with several officials and private companies, of misusing public funds to favour selected firms in large-scale infrastructure contracts.
Balluku has rejected the allegations, describing them as “mudslinging, insinuations, half-truths and lies”. She has said she will cooperate fully with the judicial process and insists she has committed no wrongdoing.
Saturday’s rally marked the second major protest in recent weeks, underscoring growing public anger over corruption allegations and broader dissatisfaction with the government.
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