Mass protests in front of Parliament on the first day after summer break
The 56 day of national anti-government protests were planned to begin early in the morning in Sofia to greet MPs on their first day back from summer break. Thousands gathered around the new Parliament building, where MPs had their first sitting in a newly renovated hall as early as 8:00. President Roumen Radev spoke to Parliament and urged the government to resign, while MPs from the ruling party GERB and its coalition partners, the far-right nationalists from NFSB and VMRO demonstratively left the hall when Radev took the floor.
The demonstrations continued throughout the day and well into the night. Reports emerged of participants, beaten and detained by police. At least one reporter was detained and heavily bruised and he claims to have legitimatized himself a number of times to the police to no effect. A reporter for bTV and cameraman were sprayed with pepper spray, BNT reporters have also been injured. Sometime after 3:00 the following morning police dismantled the tent protest and blockades at the iconic Eagles Bridge in Sofia.
The blockades on two other key intersections – all erected more than a month ago as part of the nation-wide anti-government protests – have been lifted by police forces.
Clashes with police began early on, at about 10:00 in the morning. The area around the building where the new Parliament hall resides, was heavily guarded by police and gendarmerie forces. By morning it had become apparent that the police’s goal would be to contain the protesters only in the immediate are of the building. Most entrances to this space were blocked by police forces strategically placed cordons. Some protesters tried to penetrate the blockades, resulting in the first clashes between police and protesters.
Protesters threw eggs, tomatoes, plastic bottles and hay at police and the building. Some demonstrators continued to try and break the police cordons but ultimately the latter prevailed. The head of the Sofia Police Department Georgi Hadzhiev gave an emergency briefing during which he declared the “police have decided to use force”.
The demonstrations continued throughout the day and well into the night. Reports emerged of participants, beaten and detained by police. At least one reporter was detained and heavily bruised and he claims to have legitimatized himself a number of times to the police to no effect. A reporter for bTV and cameraman were sprayed with pepper spray, BNT reporters have also been injured. Sometime after 3:00 the following morning police dismantled the tent protest and blockades at the iconic Eagles Bridge in Sofia.
The blockades on two other key intersections – all erected more than a month ago as part of the nation-wide anti-government protests – have been lifted by police forces.
Clashes with police began early on, at about 10:00 in the morning. The area around the building where the new Parliament hall resides, was heavily guarded by police and gendarmerie forces. By morning it had become apparent that the police’s goal would be to contain the protesters only in the immediate are of the building. Most entrances to this space were blocked by police forces strategically placed cordons. Some protesters tried to penetrate the blockades, resulting in the first clashes between police and protesters.
Protesters threw eggs, tomatoes, plastic bottles and hay at police and the building. Some demonstrators continued to try and break the police cordons but ultimately the latter prevailed. The head of the Sofia Police Department Georgi Hadzhiev gave an emergency briefing during which he declared the “police have decided to use force”.
Източник: mediapool.bg
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