90% of Sofia Residents Want Protesters to Obey Law - Poll

Saturday was the 121st day of antigovernment protests in Bulgaria. Photo BGNES

Ninety percent of Sofia residents believe that protest rallies must be staged in a manner that adheres to the law, according to a freshly released poll of the Sova Harris agency.

The poll has been commissioned by the Facebook group "Sofia without Blockades."

Half of the respondents say taking children to protest rallies violates the latter's rights; 39% are of the opposition opinion and 12% have no opinion.

61% did not experience traffic difficulties over the protests and 39% said the rallies have impeded traffic in the capital.

People in Sofia are divided (50:50) on questions such as "do you approve of blockades of key intersections and main thoroughfares as a form of protest," and "do you approve of the use of whistles and drums as means of expression of protest?"

The poll has been conducted on the phone between September 30 and October 1 among 677 Sofia residents over the age of 18.

Its sponsors say this is the first study among the public on the issue and it did not have political motives. The aim was to paint a true picture of public perceptions about what is happening in Sofia in the 120 days of protests against the Socialist-led government of Prime Minister, Plamen Oresharski.

Meanwhile, about 100 people, according to estimates of the Interior Ministry, have gathered once again Saturday evening on Independence square to stage an antigovernment rally.

They shouted "resignation" and "red trash."

One man has been arrested for disorderly conduct.

Saturday was the 121st day of antigovernment protests in Bulgaria.

After dwindling in numbers, they strengthened somewhat Tuesday evening as earlier in the day Bulgaria's Constitutional Court officially decided to allow lawmaker and media tycoon Delyan Peevski to return to Parliament.

The appointment of Peevski, a lawmaker and shady media tycoon, as Chair of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) on June 14 triggered mass protests in Bulgaria, ongoing for nearly four months now.

The cancelled appointment brought up the question of whether Peevski could return to his previous post of MP from liberal party Movement for Rights and Freedoms.

Center-right party GERB initiated a lawsuit, insisting that Peevski could not retain the capacity of MP because he had been sworn in as DANS Chair.

However, DPS argued that Peevski had not assumed office and had not had the opportunity to start fulfilling his duties and was therefore still considered an MP of the party.

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