Albania's anti-government protests escalate as Rama blames Russia and Iran for the unrest

Thousands of students, professors and opposition supporters marched in Tirana on Saturday demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation, burning pillows he had placed outside his office as a goodwill gesture before heading to the education ministry. Police deployed 2,500 officers with tear gas and water cannon; more than 300 protesters and officers were injured and dozens were detained. Rama, who on 18 October blamed his conservative opponents for the violence, this time pointed to "foreign actors," naming Russia and Iran, over unrest that began with university tuition fees and a Kushner-linked coastal luxury-hotel project.

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