site.btaPolice Make Arrests amid Continuing Anti-Government Protests

August 18 (BTA) - Sofia police arrested three participants in what the Interior Ministry described as "the unregulated protest action" against the government and the prosecutor general after the three behaved aggressively against a family.

Around 10 pm on Monday a 112 caller reported that a family with two little children were assaulted by persons involved in a blockade in front of the Romanian Embassy in Sofia. The family's car was reportedly made to stop and was surrounded by aggressive protestors. Reacting to the alert, police helped the family leave the place in their car, the Interior Ministry reported in a press release on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the prosecution service said that a 19-year-old man was charged with throwing a glass bottle at protestors in a tent camp, shouting insults at them and brandishing a gas pistol. The man was released on a 500 leva bail.

In yet another incident, protestors and representatives of the BOEC civil movement occupied the building of the Central Election Commission in Sofia on Tuesday, Bulgarian National Radio reported. They wanted to attend a Commission meeting, and said that unless they were allowed inside they would not let anyone else in. Eventually, the protestors were barred from attending the meeting.

The anti-government protests in Sofia and other cities went into a 41st day on Tuesday. The Sofia Directorate of Interior issued an advisory recommending to people to be more cautious while moving around the city. "Due to the firm refusal of the organizers of the protests to abide by the law, the Sofia Directorate of Interior is not providing security for these unregulated activities," the Directorate said. RI/VE
//