TIRANA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Albanian President Ilir Meta called on protesters "to avoid acts of violence and confrontations" as they rallied on Saturday asking for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign and early general elections.
Opposition supporters gathered in front of the prime minister's office on a national protest called by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and the Socialist Movement for Integration. The opposition accuses the ruling Socialists of being corrupt.
Protesters threw Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, flares and other projectiles to the prime minister's office and later to the parliament building.
Around 1,500 police forces were engaged to protect the government institutions during Saturday evening's protest.
Rama said on social network Twitter that "the fire does no harm to the government, but it does harm to Albania only."
Since mid-February, the opposition parties in Albania have launched a series of rallies. Opposition lawmakers have resigned from their seats in the parliament to put more pressure on the ruling Socialist Party.
