Albanian police fire rubber bullets and arrest hundreds as anti-government protests enter fifth day

Violent clashes were reported in the Albanian capital, Tirana, where protesters threw stones at police, who responded by deploying water cannons and tear gas to disperse the masses. Students and other protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Education on Saturday, as anti-government demonstrations entered their fifth consecutive day. The protests, which have spread to cities across Albania, intensified after high school and university students joined a broader movement calling for Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over allegations of corruption. The wider movement has been fueled in part by opposition to a controversial luxury tourism development linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Adirama said he supported the right of students and other Albanians to protest, but warned that masked individuals inciting chaos, vandalizing, looting, and committing crimes would be detained and prosecuted. Albania's police said 167 people had been arrested during the five days of unrest and announced that seven officers have been suspended amid probes into allegations of use of excessive force.