Protesters burn symbolic pillows outside Albanian prime minister office in Tirana

Opposition protesters and students gathered in the Albanian capital of Tirana on Saturday, according to Euronews. Demonstrators set fire to symbolic pillows outside the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama before marching toward the Ministry of Education. [1]

Euronews reported that supporters of the opposition Democratic Party gathered outside the prime minister's office for about ninety minutes. The pillows set on fire had been placed there by Edi Rama as a symbolic invitation to hold a dialogue with students. Police deployed riot units and a water cannon near the Ministry of Education as the crowds mobilised. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, student-led demonstrations began over high tuition fees and demands for better university conditions. Edi Rama, who has served as prime minister since 2013, previously refused to step down after police used teargas and water cannon during earlier demonstrations in Tirana. Broader unrest in the country started in February 2026 over resort developments and land ownership disputes. [3][4]

Albania is a unitary parliamentary republic with a secular constitution, where Albanian is the official language. The country traces its historic roots to ancient Illyrian tribes and endured centuries of Ottoman rule. [2]