(ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION) Anti-government demonstrators threw petrol bombs at a government building in the Albanian capital Tirana on Saturday (May 11).

Wearing gas masks, police stood guard in front of the building as protesters continued to throw petrol bombs and firecrackers.

Supporters of Albania's opposition parties have been holding protests in the last three months to try push the government to accept snap elections.

The opposition, alleging fraud in the 2017 parliamentary elections, has staged rallies and cut its ties to parliament to press for early polls, but the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama has dismissed the allegations.

The European Union and the United States have called the government legitimate and have urged the opposition to return to parliament and take part in local elections on June 30.

The protests are taking place two months ahead of a decision by European Union member states whether to approve the start of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.