Opposition demonstrators resorted to pelting Albania's governmental edifice with petrol bombs and stones late into Tuesday evening, leveling accusations of state officials' complicity in organized crime and corruption, particularly after their leader was confined to house arrest.
A multitude congregated before the government headquarters in Tirana, the capital, as law enforcement officers mobilized to establish a perimeter around Prime Minister Edi Rama's office.
At present, there have been no immediate reports concerning injuries, significant property damage, or apprehensions.
The primary opposition, the Democratic Party, vehemently alleges that Rama's administration is steeped in nepotism and corruption, purportedly incentivizing numerous youths to seek refuge in Western Europe for better prospects.
Tuesday was chosen deliberately for the demonstration to commemorate February 20, 1991, when pro-democracy demonstrators symbolically dismantled the statue of Albania's longstanding communist autocrat, Enver Hoxha.
"We gather here today to dismantle Rama's regime, which, in our view, surpasses the oppression of Enver Hoxha's regime," remarked Syle Xhebexhia, who disclosed traveling over 100 kilometers to participate in the Tirana protest.
Sali Berisha, the opposition figurehead, addressed the demonstrators via a remote video connection from his place of house arrest. He faces scrutiny over alleged corruption during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013.
Berisha has refuted the allegations, attributing them to a political vendetta orchestrated by Rama to stifle dissent, an accusation vehemently rejected by Rama.
Authorities are yet to decide whether formal charges will be pressed against Berisha or if the accusations will be dismissed.
"Edi Rama, akin to the previous autocrat (Hoxha), has consolidated all authority in his grasp and envisions an Albania devoid of opposition," declared Berisha to the assembled demonstrators.
Berisha has been recurrently addressing his supporters from the balcony of his downtown Tirana apartment.
