Several people have been detained.
According to Bulgarian National Radio, at 04:30 dozens of police blocked tent camps, offering citizens who were there to liberate the territory, and then pushed them out of the road. Several people were detained, but clashes between police and protesters did not come to an end.
The tent camps at the key intersections of Sofia – Independence Square, near the University of Sofia and the Orlov Bridge on Tsarigradskoe Shosse – in front of the administration of the city of Varna, in Plovdiv and near the city of Stara Zagora have been liquidated. Police cordons remain in place to prevent the roads from being blocked again.
“A specialized police operation has been carried out to restore public order. The MIA has repeatedly stated that it respects and guarantees the right of citizens to peacefully protest while protecting their rights. This, however, should not happen at the cost of a gross violation of the rights of other residents of the country”, – the Interior Ministry said in an official report. It is noted that the movement has been restored at all intersections that were previously blocked. Details of the operation will be presented later in a special briefing.
Anti-government actions have been going on throughout Bulgaria for almost a month now. Their participants demand the resignation of the Government and Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev. The Cabinet of Ministers, in their view, is “mired in corruption” and has not been able to provide a prosperous life for citizens during its work, as well as decent wages that would allow it to work successfully in Bulgaria and not in other European countries. The protesters accuse Geshev of attacking President Rumen Radev, organizing show searches and arrests and breaking the law.
The first mass protest was held in Bulgaria on July 9, when more than 1,000 people, including representatives of various political parties and public organizations, gathered outside the presidential administration building to support Radev. Since that day rallies and processions under the slogan “Let’s defend democracy!” have become daily, with mostly young people participating.
On Friday, new rallies will be held in Sofia and other cities of the country.