Albanian protesters defy $6,000 fines in Tirana

Thousands of protesters in Albania's capital continued demonstrating against the government on Sunday, October 25, despite the threat of fines exceeding $6,000. The protests occurred near the prime minister's office in Tirana. Protesters gathered at the Ministry of Education before moving to the government building, where they set fire to chairs that Prime Minister Edi Rama had previously placed as a symbol of openness to dialogue. Authorities imposed fines of 500,000 leks (over $6,000) for protest participants, but this failed to deter demonstrators. Rama's cabinet has faced repeated corruption scandals, while Albania struggles with organized crime and money laundering, complicating its EU accession path. Despite public discontent, Rama stated he has no intention of resigning. Student protests have continued for several weeks, previously even targeting the College of Europe office in Tirana.