Protesters in Albania’s capital hurled petrol bombs at police guarding the prime minister’s office on December 22 as political tensions intensified following corruption charges against a senior government minister.

The rally was triggered by a decision from Albania’s Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) to seek the lifting of parliamentary immunity for Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku, who has been accused of interfering in public procurement processes.

Thousands of people gathered on Tirana’s central Martyrs of the People Boulevard for a demonstration organised by the opposition Democratic Party (PD), calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Socialist Party government.

Police said some demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails at officers deployed to secure the area around the prime minister’s office. Three police officers were injured during the clashes.

Four men have been arrested in connection with the violence, while seven other people are under investigation without detention, police said in a statement. Among those being investigated is Ervin Minarolli, the Democratic Party’s organisational secretary, whom police accused of failing to meet legal obligations to ensure the orderly conduct of the rally. A 16-year-old minor is also among those under investigation.

Police said an investigative team was continuing efforts to identify other individuals who may have committed criminal acts during the protest, and case materials have been forwarded to the Tirana prosecutor’s office.

SPAK has accused Balluku, along with several public officials and private companies, of misusing state funds to benefit certain firms involved in large infrastructure projects. As infrastructure minister, Balluku oversees hundreds of millions of euros in public works, including roads, bridges and tunnels.

Balluku has denied the allegations, telling parliament last month that the case against her amounted to “mudslinging, insinuations, half-truths and lies”. She has said she will cooperate fully with the judiciary.

Rama has publicly backed Balluku, describing the accusations as politically motivated. It is unclear whether his party, which has a majority in parliament, will facilitate SPAK’s request before Albania’s Constitutional Court rules in January on a separate case concerning Balluku’s suspension from office.

The unrest comes amid a broader escalation of political tensions in Albania, where the opposition has repeatedly accused Rama’s government of corruption and electoral manipulation. The Socialist Party has been in power since 2013.

The day after the protest, Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha called for intensified action against the government.

Speaking at a press conference alongside four opposition lawmakers, Berisha urged supporters to prepare for what he described as a decisive struggle. “Our mission is the removal of this government, a technical government and free elections,” he said, as quoted by Top-Channel adding that opposition supporters should be ready to escalate their campaign until those goals are achieved.