3 protesters killed in clashes in Tirana

Albania’s riot police have killed three people during clashes with at least 20,000 opposition supporters outside Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s office in Tirana.

On Friday, state health officials confirmed that three of the protesters were shot dead, the BBC reported.

One victim was shot in the head and the other two died due to gunshots wounds to the chest.

Supporters of the opposition Socialist party held the demonstration to protest against corruption and electoral fraud, Reuters reported.

The Socialist party has rejected the results of the 2009 parliamentary election, which Berisha’s Democratic party officially won, and is calling for new elections.

The clashes came in the wake of the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta on January 14, 2011. He also resigned from his other posts as minister of economy and leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration.

“I resigned because in order to face justice it’s very important that I forfeit my government duties in order to appear before prosecutors as a regular citizen,” Meta said at a press conference after he presented his resignation to Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

The clashes broke out when some protesters were separated from the main crowd, started to throw stones and set police cars on fire. The riot police immediately responded with tear gas, plastic bullets, and water cannons.

There have been no reports yet on how many individuals were arrested during the unrest.

President Bamir Topi and opposition leader Edi Rama asked the demonstrators to “calm down for the time being.”

“We shall continue our struggle in a determined way, because the way out is clear — either a free Albania for all, or keep the people subdued under the boot of barbaric power,” Rama added.