Albanian PM Edi Rama blames 'foreign hands' as student protesters demand his resignation for fourth day

Thousands of young Albanians flooded the streets of Tirana for a fourth straight day on Friday, setting fire to rubbish bins, hurling stones at police and breaking windows while riot officers deployed tear gas and water cannon against the crowds. Edi Rama refused to resign, arguing that governments are replaced at the ballot box, not through revolution. The turmoil has moved beyond the capital, spreading to cities across Albania, with students walking out of classes in protest at education reforms and a luxury development project linked to Jared Kushner that has come to symbolise alleged corruption.

Wednesday's clashes sent 89 people to hospital, 61 of them police officers, after protesters attacked government buildings, banks and businesses.

Rama alleged that unidentified 'foreign hands' are behind the unrest, describing them as 'the hand that has burned and destroyed Albania more than once.'