Police
Day 9 of the protest: Molotov cocktails at the Prime Minister's Office and burned chairs, but the evening passes without major clashes
After hours of calm, several Molotov cocktails were thrown at the government building around 6 p.m.; the water cannon was used only once and protesters then moved toward Skanderbeg Square.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 21, 2026, 21:38 · Updated 12:25 · 1 min read
In brief
- There were no incidents until around 4 p.m.; around 6 p.m. a chair was set on fire and Molotov cocktails were thrown at the Prime Minister's Office.
- Police turned out without firearms, with tear gas and pepper spray, and the water cannon was used only once.
- Protesters announced a rally outside Parliament on Thursday from 9 a.m.
The ninth day of the student protest in Tirana, Wednesday, was the calmest since the mobilization began. After eight days of heavy clashes, Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard saw fewer protesters and police officers, while lecturers joined the students at the rally outside the Prime Minister's Office.
According to reports by Zëri and Top Channel, no incidents were recorded until around 4 p.m. Protesters angrily threw away the chairs Prime Minister Rama had placed on the square as an invitation to dialogue.
The evening Molotovs
The situation grew tense around 6 p.m., when protesters set a chair on fire and threw several Molotov cocktails at the Prime Minister's Office building. Police firefighters intervened to put out the flames, while “Shqiponja” (Eagles) unit officers arrived on the boulevard. The sound of slingshots could also be heard. According to Top Channel, police turned out without firearms, equipped with tear gas and pepper spray, and the water cannon was used only once. Protesters then moved toward Skanderbeg Square.
The eight-day toll
The evening ended without the mass clashes of previous days. The toll for the first eight days, published Wednesday, stands at 320 injured: 192 police officers, 92 protesters and 36 bystanders. The OSCE again condemned violence at the protests and attacks on journalists, urging political actors to find solutions.
At the end of the day, protesters again rejected dialogue with the prime minister and announced that on Thursday, the day of the plenary session, they would gather outside Parliament from 9 a.m. Lecturers said they will stand by the students until their demands are answered.
