Thousands of people rallied for a fresh anti-government protest in the Albanian capital Tirana on Saturday, with police firing tear gas to disperse the crowd.

In the latest of several clashes between police and protesters since mid-October, government buildings were attacked and dozens of demonstrators were detained. Authorities said that more than 300 protestors and police have been injured.

The protesters had heeded calls from organisers for students and others around Albania to attend the rally. Various groups, including university professors, artists and opposition parties, have announced their support or attendance.

Supporters of the opposition Democratic Party earlier gathered outside the prime minister's office for around an hour and a half, setting fire to pillows that Rama had placed there as a symbolic invitation to dialogue with students.

The demonstrators then headed towards the Ministry of Education, where a separate student protest took place.

For their part, high school and university students are demanding lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and protesting corruption in the education system. Some have joined a broader anti-government movement calling for the resignation of the prime minister.

Prime minister Edi Rama issued a stern warning against violence, pledging a sustained response from the authorities.

"All those who glorify violence, all those who echo violence, and all those who perpetrate violence must understand that just as the urban terror was intense, concentrated, and prolonged, so too will the response from the state be prolonged and persistent," Rama said.

Anti-government protests refuse to die down

Anti-government protests started in May, sparked by a luxury hotel project linked to US President Donald Trump's family, which scientists said in July had already caused irreparable damage to a once pristine stretch of Albania's coast.

Anger over the resort development has morphed into a broader push against corruption, amid ongoing demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.

Rama has blamed "foreign actors" for the violence and accused both Russia and Iran of driving online misinformation.

The prime minister has also called for "dialogue".

The demonstrators have distanced themselves from any political party, and regularly carry signs accusing both Rama and longtime opposition leader Sali Berisha of corruption.

They chanted "Rama in prison" and "Berisha in prison" on Saturday, blaming the entire political class for the crisis.

The prime minister had earlier published photos of around 40 people, identified by their initials, whom he accused of violence, and renewed his call for the heads of dozens of public institutions to resign.