Albanian opposition storms parliament, sets off flares and smoke bombs

The leader of Albania’s opposition has branded members of the government as “criminals”, while he and fellow lawmakers disrupted a parliamentary session by setting off flares and smoke bombs.

Sali Berisha and other opposition members stormed parliament in the capital, Tirana, on Thursday in support of demonstrators, who are demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation. Berisha and his colleagues unsuccessfully tried to prevent a vote on a new law governing the country’s central bank.

“These [ruling lawmakers] are criminals and ⁠they deserve tear gas, rubber bullets, cracked skulls and broken bones, not the young people,” Berisha, leader of the Democratic Party of Albania, said.

The protests began in May and were triggered by Rama’s preliminary approval of a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.

The student-led protest movement has since evolved into something far bigger, with demonstrators citing economic stagnation, alleged corruption and poor education standards, coupled with high tuition fees.

The anti-government protests are Albania’s largest in decades and have turned violent, injuring hundreds of people, including police officers. Government buildings, banks and private buildings have also been attacked and set on fire.

Rama has been in office for 13 years and has refused to resign after winning a fourth term last year.

As Berisha addressed parliament on Thursday, his colleagues surrounded him while holding photos of protesters allegedly injured by rubber bullets.

Rama has introduced fines of more than $6,000 for anyone who attends a protest that turns violent, even if they did not participate in such acts. That is six times Albania’s average monthly salary of around $1,000.

Rama has announced a series of measures aimed at easing the protests. These include increasing the monthly scholarship stipend for students from low-income families, according to Albania’s public broadcaster, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar. Scholarships have also been extended to master’s degree students. Rama has also announced subsidised rent for students, the broadcaster reported.