Albania’s capital is in turmoil after days of violent protests that began as student rallies and have exploded into a full-blown challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama. The unrest kicked off on October 13 outside the Education Ministry in Tirana, and by this weekend crowds were hurling stones, fireworks and petrol bombs at riot police near Rama’s office. Protesters have since attacked government buildings and police facilities, set fire to part of the Supreme Court, torched a police station and burned the entrance of the interior ministry. Albanian media even reported that a police officer’s leg caught fire during the chaos, though those details remain unconfirmed. Police have answered with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets, and the health ministry says 272 people were injured in Tirana over five days, including 169 police officers.

The movement is demanding Rama’s resignation over corruption allegations, high university costs, rising living expenses and a lack of jobs, and it has drawn in many people who joined the largely peaceful summer protests against a luxury coastal resort linked to Jared Kushner. Reuters quoted police chief Skender Hita as saying 1,067 people have been arrested and 388 prosecuted, although other outlets reported 167 arrests during the first five days, so the exact count is still unclear. Rama has refused to step down, calling the protests the work of an “outside hand” and warning that the violence threatens Albania’s goal of joining the European Union by 2030. The government is also under pressure over its own conduct, with seven police officers suspended over alleged excessive force, the EU delegation asking for a proportionate response and 141 university professors condemning police violence against students. With protesters promising to stay on the streets and the prime minister refusing to budge, the big question is whether this standoff ends in talks, more bloodshed or a political earthquake.