Bulgarian Prostitutes to Stage 'Legalization' Rally in Sofia

Bulgarian prostitutes are organizing a protest rally before the Parliament building in downtown Sofia with demands for legalization of their activity and complaints of police brutality.

The prostitutes' rally is scheduled for August 31, 2011, the bTV channel reported, citing a woman called Reni, a 54-year-old prostitute said to be one of the organizers.

The prostitutes state they have been harassed constantly by the police in the past month, and that the police would not let them work.

They want their trade to be legalized so they can pay taxes and get health insurance as well as protection against police brutality as is the case with other professions. The prostitutes also complain about the conditions in the police detention facilities.

Reni is quoted as urging all of her colleagues to gather before the Parliament building to demand a legal status. Prostitution is technically not illegal in Bulgaria, unlike the enticement into prostitution and the organization of prostitution rings.

"It is different every time. We are like fishermen. The bigger catch we get, the better," Reni is quoted as saying when asked how much money she makes as a prostitute. She says she made the decision to become a prostitute herself "like most other girls in the trade."

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