The Albanian opposition blocked intersections across the country today demanding that the current government be replaced by a technocratic interim government ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.
Lawmakers led hundreds of opposition supporters to rallies at Tirana's main entrance and at five other major intersections across the country to block traffic.
"Civil blockade, today or never" was the slogan of the protest on the website of the main opposition Democratic Party.
In Tirana, opposition MPs parked their cars to block traffic for three hours.
Conservative Democrats led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha have long accused Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialists of corruption, manipulation of earlier elections and usurpation of the judiciary.
The police warned that obstructing traffic is a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison.
Thousands of police officers have been deployed to protect government buildings.
Democrats and their supporters in the opposition coalition are holding protests over the arrests of Berisha and former president Iljir Meta in separate corruption cases, saying the charges are politically motivated.
Another democratic deputy, Ervin Salijanji, was also convicted of defamation.
Democrats have organized violent protests against the government since 2013, when they left power.
Albania is holding parliamentary elections next spring, which Rama's Socialists are "poised to win", partly because the opposition is divided.
The US and the European Union have called on the opposition to continue dialogue with the government, saying violence will not help the country integrate into the EU.
In 2020, the EU decided to start negotiations on full membership with Albania.
Earlier this month, Tirana began talks on how the country is aligned with EU positions on the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption.
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