Bulgarian Football Hooligans Attempt Assault on Plovdiv Mosque

Tensions escalated briefly on Friday, as a group of football hooligans attempted to assault a mosque during a protest in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv.

Some 2000 people gathered in Plovdiv to protest against the controversial return of the old Kurshum mosque in the town of Karlovo to the Chief Mufti's office, a move that would turn the mosque into an active religious place.

The protest started at Plovdiv’s Judicial Palace, where a court hearing was scheduled Friday over the ownership of the Kurshum mosque. Karlovo mayor Emil Kabaivanov was among the participants in the demonstration.

As he rally proceeded, football hooligans started throwing stones, bottles and squibs at Plovdiv’s Djumaya mosque.

A total of four people were injured, and one individual was detained for throwing stones at riot police, according to local news agencies.

A pastry shop right next to the Djumaya mosque had its windows broken, Offnews informs.

The Turkish Consulate in Plovdiv and the office of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, a liberal, predominantly ethnic Turkish party, were later also attacked by angry hooligans.

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