Albania: Police in Albania fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters on Saturday, the fifth day of mass student demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation.
Reuters video footage showed police firing a shotgun towards crowds outside the education ministry during clashes with protesters. Reuters reporters found rubber pellets on the ground, and two journalists from the agency and several protesters were hit by them, leaving round marks.
The incident marks an escalation in the confrontation between law enforcement and protesters, who have occupied central Tirana in recent days, burned government buildings and banks, and hurled rocks at police. Officers have responded with tear gas and water cannons.
Albania’s police chief, Skender Hita, did not deny the use of rubber bullets when asked about it at a news conference on Saturday.
"All means that were used were employed in a limited manner, including the most recent ones," he said.
Hita said seven police officers had been suspended from duty and were facing disciplinary investigations for "exceeding their authority" and "failure to respect the principle of proportionality" when dealing with protesters. He did not specify the incidents that led to the suspensions.
Hita also said 167 people had been arrested and 388 had been criminally prosecuted. Scores of police officers and protesters have been injured.
The violent demonstrations have been driven by anger over perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards. They have also attracted support from people who felt they were not heard during a summer of largely peaceful protests against a luxury coastal development backed by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Police and the government condemned the protests and called for calm.
