Europe Update

    Anti-government protests turn tense in Bulgaria as thousands rally against PM

    Issued on:

    Thousands of Bulgarians rallied in front of the parliament in Sofia on Wednesday in one of the biggest protests so far in two months of demonstrations calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

    Advertising Read more

    Tensions rose in the late hours after some protesters threw over 100 small bombs and firecrackers at police. Officers brought a water cannon and cordoned off the square in front of the parliament. Some 60 people were arrested, police said.

    Protest leaders appealed for a peaceful rally and said provocateurs attacked the police. Earlier on Wednesday scuffles broke out between protesters and police, who fired pepper spray and arrested 35 people.

    Protesters threw eggs, apples and garbage. They also shook police vehicles, and about 100 officers were affected by pepper spray aimed at them by protesters, Sofia Police Chief Georgi Hadzhiev said. Health officials said some 45 people, including police officers, were treated in hospitals.

    The rally took place on the first sitting of parliament after summer recess. Protesters called it the “Grand National Uprising” in response the governments plan for a new constitution.

    The events from the #protest in #Bulgaria today (so far):
    * police pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed people at random, including journalists and seniors
    * random arrests without an explanation BUT with a good beating
    * selective and manipulative media reporting (as usual)#ostavka pic.twitter.com/13aksJAknc

    — Mila Daskalova #ostavka (@MilaDaskalova) September 2, 2020

    Protesters accuse three-times premier Borissov and Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev of failing to fight the corruption that erodes the rule of law and benefits powerful tycoons in the European Unions poorest country.

    In parliament, President Rumen Radev called for the resignation of Borissovs centre-right government and appealed to deputies to dismiss plansRead More – Source

    [contf] [contfnew]

    france24

    [contfnewc] [contfnewc]

    Related Articles

    Europe Update

    111th ILO Conference chaired by Qatar with agenda to advance Global Labor rights

    Qatari Minister of Labour, Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, will chair the...

    Europe Update

    Russia claims to have targeted western-supplied tanks in Kyiv airstrikes

    Russia launched airstrikes on Kyiv for the first time in five weeks...

    Europe Update

    Zelenskiy hails Ukraine’s Eurovision win and plans to ‘one day’ host final in Mariupol

    Volodymyr Zelenskiy has hailed Ukraine’s win in the Eurovision song contest, saying...

    Europe Update

    Police: Man arrested after 4 people killed at London home

    Four people were found stabbed to death Monday at a home in...