The new academic year in Albania kicked off amid increasing tensions. As it had already been warned, students would hold demonstrations against compulsory COVID-19 vaccines, after a government order required that entrance in auditoriums be allowed only to vaccinated citizens, or else a negative test would have to be presented.

However, these prerequisites appear to have left a good proportion of university students out of school doors.

“I tried entering but was told that I am not allowed to go in. What should I do, should I lose yet another school year”, complained one of the students we spoke to.

However, it appears that the situation varied across universities. From a quick observation, Euronews Albania noted that several faculties were indeed allowing entrance to all students.

“I acted as a student and went to the Polytechnical University of Tirana to see if I can go in without the necessary documentation. As you may see from the footage secured, I was able to go in without having to show any forms”, reported Euronews Albania journalist Dorina Halili.

Sources confirm that some faculties are allowing students on their first day of class to raise awareness about getting the jab.

But as ambiguity on what expects them reigns over, students decided to take it to the streets to reject compulsory vaccinations.

“I am against obligatory vaccinations, but not against vaccines in itself”, explained another student we spoke to.

“I don’t want to get the vaccine and that is my right. But they not letting me go inside”, decried another student.

“We have no guarantees about the vaccine but it’s too expensive to get the PCR test every week. We already have too many expenditures, and that makes it even more redundant”, says a student.