The protest in front of the Ministry of Education began around 12:00 PM on Saturday, October 31, 2026. About an hour later, the situation escalated into clashes between protesters and the State Police. We observed the use of tear gas and high-pressure water, deployed via four specialized police vehicles.

The Ombudsman’s monitoring team inspected Police Stations No. 1, 3, and 4, and gathered information from Police Stations No. 2, 5, and 6.
During the protest, nine individuals were taken into custody: six at Police Station No. 1 and three at Police Station No. 3. Four of them were minors. The four adults held at Police Station No. 1 stated that they were merely passersby and had not participated in the protest.
The two minors at Police Station No. 1 were interviewed in the presence of a psychologist and a representative from the Child Protection Agency; their families were also notified. It was once again noted that this police station lacks an audiovisual system for recording interviews.

Consequently, the Ombudsman recommends the following:

• A thorough review of the use of force, assessing the necessity, legality, and proportionality of the measures employed—including the use of tear gas and high-pressure water. 
• The installation of an audiovisual system for the recording of interviews. • Documenting the specific reasons for every instance of being taken into custody, and informing every detained person of the reasons for their detention.
• Ensuring that every police officer can be identified at all times by guaranteeing that their uniform displays an identification number.

The Ombudsman invites anyone who believes their rights have been violated during the protest or while being taken into custody to submit an individual complaint to the institution.

Contact us:
“Zhan D’Ark” Blvd., No. 2, Tirana
Tel: 04 2 380 300, 068 903 4648
Email: ap@avokatipopullit.gov.al