Albania’s opposition lawmakers brought Parliament to a standstill on Thursday after igniting flares that sent clouds of colored smoke through the chamber, intensifying tensions after weeks of student-led protests against the government.
Members of the opposition Democratic Party also prevented lawmakers from reaching the podium during a vote on legislation concerning the central bank, Reuters reported.
“These ruling lawmakers are criminals, and they deserve tear gas, rubber bullets, cracked skulls, and broken bones—not the young people,” opposition leader Sali Berisha said before his microphone was switched off.
Opposition lawmakers in Albania set off flares inside Parliament as anti-government protests continued for weeks. (Reuters)
As disorder spread across the chamber, opposition lawmakers gathered around Berisha with blue flares—the Democratic Party’s official color—and held up photographs of demonstrators allegedly injured by police rubber bullets.
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Student-led protests have swept Albania in recent weeks, with demonstrators calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign over allegations of corruption, inadequate funding for schools, high unemployment, and limited economic prospects.
The demonstrations began on Oct. 13 and soon escalated into clashes with police, while some protesters set fire to government buildings. In Tirana, demonstrators also confronted riot police guarding the headquarters of Rama’s governing Socialist Party.
The unrest has since expanded beyond the capital, reaching several other cities throughout the country.
Rama, who has led Albania since 2013 and won a fourth term last year, has blamed “foreign hands who do not want Albania in the European Union.” He has also accused outside actors of exploiting the protests, saying they “represent organized crime rather than students.”
In an effort to deter further violence, Rama announced tougher penalties, including fines of up to $6,000 for anyone taking part in a protest that becomes violent—even if that individual does not personally commit a violent act.
Protest organizers have called for another demonstration on Saturday.