'Our land, our Albania': young lawmaker demands new future as protests rage

Albania's capital overrun by mass student protests Demonstrations turn violent as they call for PM to step down Young lawmaker calls for different policies, protection of land By Fatos Bytyci TIRANA, Oct 17 (Reuters) — Marjana Koceku's life changed last year when Prime Minister Edi Rama hand-picked her to run for Albania's parliament, one of a legion of young lawmakers he hoped would become the face of his Socialist Party. This week, however, the 25-year-old, now an independent member of parliament, joined mass student protests calling for Rama to step down. Corruption, a lack of jobs and a general feeling that the government does not work for them have created a deep-seated anger that spilled over this week, when young protesters swarmed the capital Tirana, setting fire to government buildings and banks and hurling pavement stones at police. The government and the police have condemned the violence. According to police figures, 500 protestors have been detained, 330 of whom have been released. Some 120 police and 45 protesters have been injured, the figures show, although the protester figure is likely higher given that many injuries have gone unrecorded. Albania's unrest is part