Thousands of protesters have hit the streets of the Albanian capital Tirana to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Some of them broke through a police cordon by throwing petrol bombs and flares. They then began trying to smash down the doors of the building housing Rama's office.

Several windows were smashed and a dozen protesters tried to get inside but were pushed back by police.

Demonstrators were also seen trying to dismantle scaffolding that protects an illuminated canopy, a piece of artwork dear to Rama at the front of the building.

The protest, organised by opposition parties, called for Rama to step down amid allegations of corruption.

Rama, who won a second term as Albania's PM in 2017, announced yesterday he wouldn't be in Tirana for the protests.

"February `16 will be the last day of Rama's power," declared Lulzim Basha, head of the Democratic Party, the centre-right opposition.

His and other opposition parties are calling for the formation of a government that would call early parliamentary elections.

They accuse Rama of colluding with organised crime and plunging the country into corruption and misery.