Clashes grip Tirana as Albanian PM blames 'foreign hands' for mounting unrest

Protesters clashed with police in Albania's capital for the fourth day Friday as Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed "foreign hands" for mounting unrest. Police used tear gas and water cannons while protesters hurled stones at security forces, burning garbage bins to block roads across the city. Fighting continued into the night in several parts of the city. Violent demonstrations have rocked Tirana since Tuesday, with thousands of protesters calling for Rama to step down over university conditions and high tuition fees. According to AFP journalists, protesters attempted to force their way into government offices on the capital’s main boulevard on Friday. Read moreStudent protests spread in Albania as demonstrators call for PM resignation Media reported that protests also spread to other cities with smaller scale violence and student boycotts of universities, marking a significant escalation in the months of anti-government protests. The Tirana protests started with hundreds of people gathering outside the education ministry chanting "Rama resign!" "We are not criminals. We simply want a better life for our parents and ourselves. We do not want to leave Albania," 18-year-old Ledia told ...