TIRANA, Albania — Student protests in the Albanian capital escalated on Wednesday, with a fire breaking out at the Ministry of Education building during clashes and a bank branch also being set on fire, according to albinfo.at.
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Police intervened to disperse the crowd, using tear gas and water cannons.
During the unrest, an employee of the Austrian Embassy in Albania was also injured. According to ORF correspondent Cornelia Primosch, the individual was not participating in the protest. He sustained head injuries and was taken to hospital but was subsequently discharged. Austria's Foreign Ministry also confirmed the incident, albinfo.at reported.
Albania's Deputy Prime Minister, Albana Koçiu, condemned the violence, stressing that while protests are a legitimate right, they cannot justify destruction or acts of vandalism. She called on students to distance themselves from violence.
The demonstrations, which began in late May, are linked to dissatisfaction with university conditions, the high cost of education, insufficient financial support, and difficulties finding employment after graduation.
Another source of public discontent is a project to build a luxury hotel in a protected natural area, associated with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
The latest unrest represents the most serious escalation since the protests began and poses a challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama's government. Demonstrators are also demanding his resignation.
A day earlier, protesters had forcibly entered Tirana City Hall, where they set a fire and damaged other property.