Tensions escalated during a protest in Albania’s capital on Sunday, as demonstrators threw stones at the Parliament Presidency building, shattering windows, before targeting the Prime Minister’s Office.

The unrest began after firecrackers were set off during the rally, marking the first signs of a confrontation. Protesters gathered outside the Parliament Presidency then struck the building with stones, breaking windows, while police officers on the ground urged them to remain calm.

The situation later escalated further as demonstrators began striking the Prime Minister’s Office building.

Police, who had not intervened up to that point, put on gas masks and called on protesters to refrain from violence and move away from the building.

Water cannon trucks were also placed on standby on both sides of the Prime Minister’s Office, as tensions continued to rise.

The latest developments come amid ongoing student-led protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government, with demonstrators demanding his resignation and rejecting calls for dialogue that do not include his departure from office.