Clashes at Albanian Parliament in Tirana Leave Dozens Injured and Six Arrested

Protests that have been ongoing for more than a month outside the parliament in Tirana escalated on 4 June 2026. Demonstrators demanded the resignation of the entire government, the repeal of investment and environmental laws, and opposed a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner. European parliamentarians from Italy, Germany and the Netherlands attended earlier protests and expressed support for the movement.

During the latest demonstration, about 200 protesters tried to block parliamentary entrances, hurling eggs at officials' vehicles and chanting slogans such as “Resign your mandates”. Police responded with pepper spray and water cannons. Nine police officers were injured and at least 18 demonstrators were detained. Six protestors were arrested, including Dritan Gokshaj, whom authorities accused of ties to Iran; they were released a few hours later. A protester told local media, “We do not live in a European country,” while Interior Minister Beshfort Lamalari warned that “no one has the right to abuse the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and turn it into obvious violence.”