ALBANIA PM REJECTS RESIGNATION CALLS AS PROTESTS ENTER THIRD DAY

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has rejected calls to resign as protesters and riot police clashed in Tirana for a third consecutive day, according to the prime minister's statement to Reuters and reporting from AFP. Thousands of demonstrators have been taking part in the protests, which also spread to several smaller cities on Thursday as students joined university boycotts. Rama said in a written statement that his "responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward," while condemning what he called "chaos" that has damaged government buildings. Police used water cannon and tear gas against crowds, and an AFP reporter said demonstrators threw stones at officers as police pushed back crowds trying to approach the education ministry and parliament. Protesters smashed their way into several government buildings on Tuesday and Wednesday and set at least one ablaze, leaving Tirana's streets littered with burnt-out rubbish bins, shattered bus stops and broken traffic lights.

Demonstrators have cited anger over corruption, education costs and university conditions, with one journalism student, Teftalia Papa, telling AFP that protesters want "a government that works for its people, not against them" and a system where "students can afford to study and live without being crushed by rising costs." The protests follow months of anti-government demonstrations originally triggered by a resort development on Albania's southern coast linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Rama's government has denied corruption allegations. Rama posted a video on Facebook showing him touring a burnt-out office at a university campus in Tirana.

Rama said he would be willing to discuss rising education costs but ruled out resigning, telling Reuters that "the alternative would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership." He said he would not allow violence to "derail Albania's European future," suggesting some forces "at home and abroad" might not want Albania to succeed as a forerunner for EU membership. No date has been given by either side for when the protests or negotiations over student demands might conclude.