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Albanian PM warns of 'red line' as unrest drags on
Albanian PM warns of 'red line' as unrest drags on
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Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused protesters of crossing a "red line" Monday after a police station was set ablaze during anti-government demonstrations.
Demonstrators have clashed with police since Tuesday as months of protests escalate, driven by fresh demands for better university conditions, anger over corruption and renewed calls for Rama's resignation.
Fresh unrest broke out again in the capital Tirana on Monday evening, AFP journalists saw. Protesters lobbed Molotov cocktails at the interior ministry, with riot police turning water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets on the demonstration in response.
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"Protests are a right, whereas violence is a crime; this red line must be drawn clearly at this critical stage of our democratic development," Rama said in a Facebook post.
The prime minister said he was prepared for dialogue, except with those who commit violence and political parties that fail to distance themselves from it.
After gathering in their hundreds from early morning, the protesters also briefly clashed with police outside the education ministry, a rallying point for many of the demonstrators.
AFP reporters also saw a small group smashing the doors and windows of the appeals tribunal before police intervened, continuing the attacks on government buildings in recent days.
"We will continue our movement until Rama resigns. We are not criminals, we want social peace and better living conditions in our country," Leka Sina, a 22-year-old science student, told AFP.
"Violence is not a solution, but the government also needs to reflect deeply to understand this revolt," he added. Across the demonstrations police have regularly used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds that have targeted government buildings and smashed stores in several parts of the city.
Protesters have hurled stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at police.
Around 300 people have been injured in the clashes, more than half of them police, according to the authorities.
- 'A wave of Russian influence' -
Petrol bombs were thrown into a police station and the interior ministry entrance on Sunday.
Several other government buildings have been badly damaged in the demonstrations, including the education ministry, which remains a focal point of the demonstrations.
The police detained 68 people in Sunday's unrest, of whom 22 will face prosecution, the force in Tirana said on Monday.
In a meeting with officers on Monday, Rama praised the police response and pledged a 2,500-euro payment to "each officer on the front lines" as well as a "significant salary increase" from January 1.
Rama, who has blamed "foreign hands" for the unrest, also accused Iran and Russia of driving misinformation online.
Stressing that Russia is "not an ally of Albania", Rama warned against a "wave of Russian influence surging through the entire social media ecosystem".
He also warned against "tens of thousands of fake profiles", allegedly linked to Iran, which have been mobilised under the guise of environmental activism.
The anti-government protests in the Balkan nation were initially sparked by a controversial resort development linked to US President Donald Trump's family.
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This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
