Albania: Violence erupts as protesters rally against government

After their leader was placed under house arrest, protesters from the opposition threw petrol bombs and rocks at the government building in Tirana, Albania, late on Tuesday night, accusing officials of being involved in organized crime and corruption.

According to media reports, riot police were called in to cordon off Prime Minister Edi Rama's office, but there were no immediate reports of injuries, serious damage, or arrests.

Rama is accused of nepotism and corruption by the main opposition Democratic Party, which claims that these practices are driving many young people to emigrate in search of a better life in western Europe.

Tuesday was the chosen day for the demonstration in honor of the February 20, 1991, event in which pro-democracy protestors destroyed the statue of Enver Hoxha, the longstanding communist dictator of Albania.

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Opposition leader Sali Berisha spoke to the demonstrators via video link while under house arrest. He is under investigation for alleged corruption from 2005 to 2013, while he served as prime minister.

Berisha has denied any misconduct and charged Rama with having a political grudge intended to intimidate rivals. Rama disputes this.

It is yet up to the prosecutors to decide whether to press formal charges or to drop them against Berisha.

From his downtown Tirana apartment balcony, Berisha has been addressing his fans on a regular basis.