Police in Tirana used water cannon and pepper spray late on Friday (April 17) to disperse opposition protesters who hurled petrol bombs at the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The protest was organised by the opposition Democratic Party, which is demanding Rama’s resignation and accuses him of corruption.

Political tensions have escalated since December after a special prosecution unit indicted Rama's deputy, Belinda Balluku, for allegedly interfering in public tenders for major infrastructure projects and favouring certain companies, charges she denies.

Balluku has resigned from office, but parliament, where Rama holds a majority, has refused to lift her immunity to allow prosecutors to arrest her.

Albania is seeking European Union membership by 2030, but Brussels has emphasised the need for stronger efforts to combat corruption and organised crime.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

TIRANA, ALBANIA (APRIL 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. PROTESTERS FIRING FIREWORKS AND PETROL BOMBS AT PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE BUILDING / DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER SALI BERISHA WAVING ALBANIAN FLAG

2. RIOT POLICE USING PEPPER SPRAY ON PROTESTERS

3. POLICE DETAINING PROTESTER

4. RIOT POLICE WALKING WITH SHIELDS

5. POLICE USING PEPPER SPRAY AT PROTESTERS

6. RIOT POLICE BACKING OFF

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) RESIDENT OF TIRANA, RIFAN ZHUZHI, SAYING:

"Edi Rama (Albanian Prime Minister) should have stepped down eight years ago. He should have been removed back in 2017 and gone to SPAK (the anti-corruption prosecutor's office) to be held accountable for all the thefts that have taken place."

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LAWMAKER FROM THE OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SAIMIR KORRESHI, SAYING:

"The government should have resigned much earlier, but in any case, we are in a very difficult situation. We will continue to protest for what belongs to all Albanians: to restore democracy, which Albania is currently lacking at this moment."

9. POLICE SCUFFLING WITH PROTESTERS

10. POLICE USING WATER CANNONS ON PROTESTERS

11. RIOT POLICE STANDING BY WATER CANNON TRUCK

12. VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE STANDING GUARD

13. VARIOUS OF BERISHA ON STAGE

14. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS LISTENING

15. PROTESTER WAVING EUROPEAN UNION FLAG