Bulgarian Environmentalists Postpone Protest over Raging Wildfire

Sofia recently became the center of mass rallies of opponents to a set of amendments to the Forestry Act facilitating construction works. Photo by BGNES

The planned protest against Bulgaria's much debated Forestry Act has been postponed by its organizers because of the wildfire that has been raging in the Vitosha Mountain near Sofia.

Many of the protesters have been taking part in the efforts to extinguish the wildfire as volunteers and cannot be present at the event.

The rally was to be staged at 6:30 pm on Tuesday starting at the capital Sofia's Orlov Most (Eagles Bridge). It will take place on July 5 instead.

The protesters argued that the amendments to the Bulgarian Forestry Act, which radically ease cutting down public forests for the construction of private sports facilities, serve the interests of the oligarchy and would be deleterious for Bulgarian nature.

Several rallies have been staged since the controversial piece of legislation was passed on June 13, forcing President Rosen Plevneliev to issue a veto on it.

Some 350 Bulgarian volunteers, firefighters, police officers and forest rangers are still struggling to extinguish the wildfire that has been raging in Vitosha since Sunday.

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