A daily English summary of what Pas Perdes reported from Albania on 17 October 2026, a day of escalating clashes at the anti-government protest outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Tirana.
Young protester hit by at least seven rubber bullets
Violent clashes on Tirana’s “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard left citizens and protesters with injuries. In one of the most shocking images from the scene, a young protester was left badly hurt after being hit by no fewer than seven rubber bullets fired by police officers. The many wounds on his body point to the intensity of the force used to disperse the crowd, and calls to stop the use of rubber bullets against citizens are growing more urgent.
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Sister of Muhamet Skana: police slammed him head-first onto the asphalt, causing spinal and skull fractures
The sister of Muhamet Skana, the young man who was subjected to police violence at the protest outside the Prime Minister’s Office and fell head-first to the ground, said doctors diagnosed a fracture of the spine from the blows and a skull fracture from being thrown forcefully to the ground. She thanked citizens for their support and said the family is by his side. “The pseudo-police officers who did this will be punished and we will pursue the case to the end,” she said.
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Police and civilians filmed beating a man lying on the ground
A citizen was savagely beaten in the streets of Tirana. The footage shows several police officers, as well as people in civilian clothes, hitting a man lying on the ground with rubber batons, fists and kicks.
Protester knocked unconscious after being hit by police
During the escalation at the protest outside the Prime Minister’s Office, a protester fell to the ground after being struck by a police officer. He was taken to hospital by ambulance; according to News24, he is in a stable condition under medical care.
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Elderly man injured in the head near the Prime Minister’s Office
A man over 70 was injured in the head during the protest in Tirana, near the area known as the “Twin Towers” by the Prime Minister’s Office. He was bleeding from the face and was helped by protesters nearby. It is not yet known how the injury was caused, whether he was hit by police or hurt accidentally during the clashes.
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Violence reported at the Et’hem Bey Mosque against worshippers waiting for prayer
Pas Perdes reported that violence was used on the grounds of the Et’hem Bey Mosque against worshippers who were waiting for prayer time.
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Video: violence near the Et’hem Bey Mosque
Footage of violence near the Et’hem Bey Mosque against worshippers waiting for prayer time.
Boulevard sealed off as RENEA special forces deploy
As clashes on “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard intensified, RENEA special forces were deployed alongside police cordons and the Rapid Intervention Forces (FNSH), positioned next to water cannon trucks at the hottest points of the perimeter. The deployment followed a violent escalation that included Molotov cocktails thrown at police vehicles, the use of rubber bullets by officers and hard physical clashes with protesters.
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US Congressman Joe Wilson urges the government not to use violence against protesters Commentary
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson wrote on X that he is following with great concern the escalating crisis in Albania, a NATO ally, that the government must refrain from any violence against protesters and that young people deserve a voice in their country’s future. The piece argues that the warning is addressed to the government, not the protesters, and recalls Wilson’s earlier amendment seeking a classified intelligence report on drug trafficking in Albania and the government’s possible role in it.
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Diaspora engineer Elson Bajrakurtaj reminds Rama of his LSE promise: “This is the moment to listen to the students”
London-based structural engineer and entrepreneur Elson Bajrakurtaj addressed Prime Minister Edi Rama on Instagram under the hashtag #MeStudentet, recalling Rama’s 2012 promise at the London School of Economics to limit the prime minister’s office to two terms. Describing himself as a socialist, he said he stands with the students, condemned violence against both students and police, and asked Rama to show that the principle of limited power still matters to him. Rama, for his part, has signalled he will not resign, saying the government respects the right to protest but will not allow violence and destruction.
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“In the Lana it was Klevis Balliu who was thrown in, but Sali Berisha who drowned” Commentary
A commentary on Democratic Party MP Klevis Balliu ending up in the waters of the Lana during the protest. It argues that Balliu owes his career to Sali Berisha, that a party card does not guarantee a welcome at the protest, and that citizens can oppose Rama without being Berisha’s soldiers, because the protest is not anyone’s private property.
Read the original in Albanian →
Watch the evidence: Pas Perdes keeps a public archive of videos documenting police violence during the 2026 protests. Video archive →
About this brief: Pas Perdes is an independent, non-partisan Albanian civic news and accountability portal. This brief summarises and translates our own reporting from Albanian; opinion and commentary pieces are labelled. Corrections and right of reply: contact us.
