Opposition lawmakers set off smoke bombs and flares during a session of Albania’s parliament on Thursday, accusing the prime minister of downplaying ongoing anti-government protests in Tirana.
Since mid-October, student demonstrators have taken to the streets to demand greater support for education and to renew months-long calls for Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation.
Protesters have routinely clashed with police and attacked government buildings, with more than 350 people, including many officers, injured and dozens of protesters detained.
On Thursday, the opposition tried to disrupt a regular vote, which Rama also attended, banging on desks and throwing objects, including water bottles, at the prime minister.
They also set off flares and smoke bombs.
“Rama resign!” the opposition MPs chanted.
Gathered at the podium, they held pictures of protesters allegedly injured by police and banners in support of student demonstrators.
Deputy head of the main opposition Democratic Party Belind Kellici told AFP that Rama and his Socialist Party lawmakers were trying to push ahead with their agenda as if nothing were happening in Albania, in what he called a “deliberate attempt to deny the country’s deep crisis”.
Similar scenes unfolded on the floor last week, when opposition politicians attempted to disrupt a vote that ended in a scuffle.
Dramatic scenes in the Albanian parliament are not unusual, with flares lit in the chamber at least twice before.
The protesters have clearly distanced themselves from any political party and regularly carry signs accusing both Rama and the opposition leader Sali Berisha of corruption.
On Wednesday, the government introduced fines of up to 500,000 leks (5,500 euros, $6,130) for violent demonstrators. The average pre-tax salary is 930 euros ($1,026) per month.
Rama has repeatedly blamed “foreign actors” for the violence and accused both Russia and Iran of driving online misinformation.
Anti-government protests in the Balkan nation began in May over a controversial resort development linked to US President Donald Trump’s family.
But anger over the development has morphed into a broader push against corruption, amid ongoing demands that the prime minister step down.
