Midnight Shootout in Downtown Sofia Gathers Taxi Drivers in Protest

Photo from the site of the shooting in downtown Sofia in the early hours Saturday. BGNES

A taxi driver was shot in downtown Sofia around 2.30 am Saturday morning after a brawl with another driver, which provoked overnight the indignation of his colleagues, who gathered to protest.

The incident happened near the intersection of Dondukov and Levski boulevards, with the taxi driver allegedly repeatedly driving dangerously close to another car.

This led to the cars coming to a halt, and the passangers walking out to quarrel. In the ensuing quarrel, the 25-year-old taxi driver was shot by the passenger in the other car, which was driven by his wife.

The driver was wounded in the chest and is hospitalized, with his life out of danger. Police sources have reported that he has a record of penalties for breaches of traffic rules.

The incident has led about one hundred taxi drivers to gather in the wee hours in the square in front of the Parliament in support of their wounded colleague.

When they were informed that the taxi driver might have been the cause of the brawl, they peacefully dispersed.

In February 2007, Sofia taxi drivers staged large-scale protests after one of their colleagues was shot to death by the person he was driving.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!