- Published
Demonstrators and riot police fought pitched battles in the centre of Tirana on Saturday for the fifth day in a row.
asserted
Demonstrators → publish → row
Masked protesters, many of them high school and university students, hurled rocks and petrol bombs at riot police trying to defend the education ministry, one of the focal points of the protests.
asserted
many → hurl → protests
The police responded with water cannon and volleys of tear gas, sending the crowds scattering.
asserted
crowds → respond → gas
There are also reports that rubber bullets were used for the first time.
asserted
bullets → be → time
Protests which began in the summer have grown into a wider anti-government movement, with calls for the prime minister to resign following corruption allegations linked to his administration.
asserted
minister → begin → administration
Many of the protesters in central Tirana wore gas masks or face masks, while volunteers handed out syringes of saline eyewash to reduce the pain from the tear gas which billows down the street.
asserted
which → wear → street
The constant boom of petrol bombs could be heard exploding on Saturday.
uncertain
boom → hear → Saturday
During the afternoon, the focus of the protests shifted to the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama on the city's main boulevard.
asserted
focus → shift → boulevard
Here the crowds swelled to far larger numbers than on previous days.
asserted
crowds → swell → days
Riot police faced a steady hail of cobble stones and fireworks, and responded with barrage after barrage of tear gas, some of the canisters landing far back in the crowds, causing panic.
asserted
some → face → panic
Incensed by the gas, the crowds waited for it to clear, then renewed their attacks.
Black smoke from a burning vehicle and the sirens of police cars and ambulances split the afternoon.
asserted
smoke → incense → afternoon
As dusk fell, police special forces arrived to reinforce the riot police.
asserted
forces → fall → police
Many people have been injured on both sides, 80 people have been charged with disorder so far, and hundreds more have been arrested, or are under investigation.
The centre of the Tirana looks increasingly like a war zone, scattered with broken glass and burnt debris.
asserted
centre → injure → glass
George, a 19-year-old medical student who works as an electrician to fund his studies, stood near the burnt-out education ministry building, a scarf wrapped round his face and goggles covering his eyes.
asserted
goggles → work → eyes
He is one of the thousands who have taken part in the increasingly intense protests which began in early June.
asserted
which → take → June
In his gloved hands he clutched two rocks intended for the police.
asserted
he → clutch → police
Asked if he was concerned about injuring them, he said: "We have mothers too.
asserted
We → ask → mothers
We have family too.
asserted
We → have → family
Now we are trying to do like in France…
asserted
we → try → France
we are trying to make a revolution.
"
asserted
we → try → revolution
Our government doesn't want peace, so we are using violence."
asserted
we → want → violence
She said: "All the students are boycotting their university classes and left school to fight for our rights."
asserted
students → say → rights
She alleged there were provocateurs among the protesters, smashing up stores and banks, to discredit the demonstrations.
asserted
She → allege → demonstrations
Socialist Party Prime Minister Edi Rama has been in power for 13 years and has dominated Albanian politics, much like his main rival Sali Berisha, of the opposition Democratic Party, did for decades.
asserted
rival → dominate → decades
The students say they are against "the whole corrupt political class".
asserted
they → say → class
Osman Stafa, a prominent journalist for the News24 channel, who also describes himself as an activist for change, called for a "neutral, caretaker government for one year, to organise new elections".
asserted
who → describe → elections
The irony for the wider European community during this latest wave of unrest is that Rama has long been viewed favourably by the EU, which Albania aspires to join.
asserted
Albania → view → which
In a social media post on Saturday morning, he urged Albanian to "not forget that we have achieved extraordinary things".
asserted
we → urge → things
He blamed the protests on the opposition Democratic Party, and on what he called "the sinister agenda of foreign actors, intent on halting our progress" towards EU membership, which he has promised by 2030.
asserted
he → blame → 2030
He did not name which "foreign actors" he had in mind.
asserted
he → name → mind
The latest protests have seriously tarnished Rama's carefully cultivated image as a charming leader, steering his country towards prosperity.
asserted
protests → tarnish → prosperity
Parallel to the protests, a series of investigations by the special prosecution service also threaten his rule.
asserted
series → threaten → rule
Set up under EU and US pressure in 2019, the prosecutors recently arrested the powerful secret service chief Vlora Hyseni.
asserted
prosecutors → Set → chief
She stands accused of helping a prominent businessman, former government official, and personal friend of Rama, Ergys Agasi, evade justice.
asserted
businessman → accuse → justice
Agasi, speaking through his lawyer, denied the allegations against him and said he had nothing to do with corruption.
asserted
he → speak → corruption
Hyseni told prosecutors that she contacted Agasi to try to recruit him to the intelligence services.
asserted
she → tell → services
Several Albanian media outlets claim he acted as an intermediary between the prime minister and organised criminal groups.
uncertain
he → claim → minister
Rama has admitted that he knows Agasi but denies any knowledge of illegal transactions.
asserted
he → admit → transactions
"Edi Rama is caught between a rock and a hard place," Lutfi Dervishi, a political analyst and university lecturer, told the BBC.
asserted
Dervishi → catch → BBC
By concentrating so much power in his own hands, he has made himself the only person the people blame for their grievances."
Rama's Socialist Party has a comfortable majority, with 83 out of 140 seats in the Albanian Parliament.
asserted
Party → concentrate → Parliament
The Aporia
