TIRANA, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Albania's Education Ministry caught fire on Wednesday during a second day of student protests over corruption and education, as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds in Tirana.
Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Education Ministry on Wednesday. Some threw bricks at the building. They broke metal sidewalk barriers and overturned trash cans, Reuters footage showed.
A Raiffeisen Bank branch nearby caught fire as well, a Reuters witness said.
This has been the most violent outburst of anti-corruption protests, which started in May and have posed a growing challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama's government.
"Protesting is a legitimate right, but it cannot be used as an excuse for violence, city destruction or ugly fighting in the middle of the road," Deputy Prime Minister Albana Kociu said on Facebook. "I call on students and every honest citizen who believes in the right to protest: Distance yourself from violence and vandalism!"
Student organisers said the protest was over conditions at universities, higher education costs, financial support and employment prospects after graduation.
The unrest is part of a broader wave of student activism sweeping Europe over education and living conditions. In France, high school students have staged weeks of protests and school blockades demanding more teachers and better facilities, arguing that deteriorating school buildings and overcrowded classrooms are undermining education.
(Reporting by Fatos BytyciEditing by Gareth Jones and Xevi Fontdegloria)
