site.bta64th Day of Anti-government Protests in Sofia, Six Arrested
NW 15:59:01 10-09-2020
LN1610NW.114
114 POLITICS - PROTEST - SOFIA
64th Day of
Anti-government
Protests in Sofia, Six Arrested
Sofia, September 10 (BTA) - On the 64th day of protests against corruption, the government and the prosecutor general in Bulgaria, people started gathering in the morning for what was planned as a larger-than-usual rally in central Sofia. Police presence was heavy around the Parliament, government and President headquarters and checkpoints were set up where all suspicious people and larger baggage pieces were checked by police.
The Thursday rally was announced as a follow-up of a "Grand National Uprising" held on September 2 when tends of thousands marched in the streets to demand the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev.
The more recognizable among the protestors were representatives of the Vazrazhdane party, the BOEC civil movement, the Socialist party and the Democratic Bulgaria coalition.
Around noon on Thursday, police said that it had arrested six people, three of them for carrying prohibited items. During a search in the area of the protest rally in central Sofia on Thursday morning, they found metal pipes, bags full of stones and glass bottles, wooden shafts, two knives, a battle slingshot and a 5-liter container full of unidentified pungent liquid.
In a Facebook post, President Rumen Radev says the protest belongs to all citizens and that the people in the street are not smugglers or mobsters: they are the constitutional sovereign who are determined to regain control over their State.
His remark about the "smugglers and mobsters" referenced a statement by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Wednesday when he said that "the mafia is trying to oust the government" and that "[the owners of] gambling businesses and contraband trade [rings], everybody, is in the street [protesting] against us".
In his Facebook post, Radev said that the stubbornness of the incumbents only worsens the crisis and reiterated his call to the protesters to not give in to provocations.
Also on Thursday, representatives of BOEC rallied outside the European Commission representation in Sofia "to make sure they are heard by Brussels". They called for suspending EU funding to Bulgaria "because pouring resources in an unreformed country extends the agony and is hypocritical because it strengthens the backstage players". RY/MT
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LN1610NW.114
114 POLITICS - PROTEST - SOFIA
64th Day of
Anti-government
Protests in Sofia, Six Arrested
Sofia, September 10 (BTA) - On the 64th day of protests against corruption, the government and the prosecutor general in Bulgaria, people started gathering in the morning for what was planned as a larger-than-usual rally in central Sofia. Police presence was heavy around the Parliament, government and President headquarters and checkpoints were set up where all suspicious people and larger baggage pieces were checked by police.
The Thursday rally was announced as a follow-up of a "Grand National Uprising" held on September 2 when tends of thousands marched in the streets to demand the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev.
The more recognizable among the protestors were representatives of the Vazrazhdane party, the BOEC civil movement, the Socialist party and the Democratic Bulgaria coalition.
Around noon on Thursday, police said that it had arrested six people, three of them for carrying prohibited items. During a search in the area of the protest rally in central Sofia on Thursday morning, they found metal pipes, bags full of stones and glass bottles, wooden shafts, two knives, a battle slingshot and a 5-liter container full of unidentified pungent liquid.
In a Facebook post, President Rumen Radev says the protest belongs to all citizens and that the people in the street are not smugglers or mobsters: they are the constitutional sovereign who are determined to regain control over their State.
His remark about the "smugglers and mobsters" referenced a statement by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Wednesday when he said that "the mafia is trying to oust the government" and that "[the owners of] gambling businesses and contraband trade [rings], everybody, is in the street [protesting] against us".
In his Facebook post, Radev said that the stubbornness of the incumbents only worsens the crisis and reiterated his call to the protesters to not give in to provocations.
Also on Thursday, representatives of BOEC rallied outside the European Commission representation in Sofia "to make sure they are heard by Brussels". They called for suspending EU funding to Bulgaria "because pouring resources in an unreformed country extends the agony and is hypocritical because it strengthens the backstage players". RY/MT
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