Bulgarian Protesters Complain of Police Harassment

Bulgarians have been staging for nearly two months now mass and relentless anti-government rallies. Photo by BGNES

About hundred anti-government protesters from southwestern Bulgaria, who took part Wednesday in the rallies in the capital Sofia, have received summonses to appear in their local police precincts.

The news was reported by the demonstrators themselves, citied by a number of media.

"As soon as we arrived in Sofia, we were "greeted' by traffic and security police. Our drivers parked the buses in the lot at the Vasil Levski National Stadium. They were immediately issued citations for parking violations, despite the fact this is a legal parking spot. And they were chased away," says Ventsislav Kavazov, cited by OFFNews. He has been on one of the buses.

Eyewitnesses further report that one traffic policeman told them they were acting on the orders of the "Minister."

On the way back home, buses from the city of Blagoevgrad and the town of Gotse Delchev have been stopped twice by traffic police – near the western city of Pernik and near Blagoevgrad. Both times, the ID cards of the passengers have been collected, data from them recorded, and the drivers have been issued citations.

During the Blagoevgrad stop, they were handed summons to appear before local police at 9 am Thursday for violating the Meetings and Rallies Act and public order in Sofia.

The summonses have been prepared in advance with police only filling in the names of the protesters.

Bulgarians have been staging for nearly two months now mass and relentless anti-government rallies with demands the Socialist-endorsed Cabinet of Prime Minister, Plamen Oresharski, resigns immediately over alleged links with mafia and oligarchs and controversial appointments.

The protests, however, are held mostly and in largest numbers in the capital Sofia. Many attribute this to the fact that in smaller locations people are way less "anonymous" and they fear being repressed and losing their jobs.

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