Roma in Bulgaria's Garmen to Protest Housing Demolition

The residents of a Roma neighborhood in the Bulgarian village of Garmen are taking to the streets on Friday over the municipality's plans to go on bulldozing their homes.

Local authorities consider their protest to be illegal, with mayor Mina Kapitanova banning rallies in the central area of Garmen on Friday.

Roma community members are quoted by daily Standart as saying that the event will be peaceful and no unrest will be intended.

In May, a fight broke out between members of the ethnic Bulgarian majority and the ethnic Roma minority in Garmen over a music played too loudly.

The dispute led to days-long tensions and mutual accusations, with Roma people reporting discrimination and other residents complaining of violence and criminal offenses committed by members of the Roma community.

It was promptly revealed that Roma housing in the neighborhood was built illegally, and local authorities said the houses would be destroyed.

Out of 124 illegally built dwellings in the neighborhood, 10 have so far been demolished, leaving 50 people homeless.

Demonstrators are to gather in their Kremikovtsi neighborhood later on Friday. For weeks they had been planning on marching through Garmen's central area, but local authorities rejected their request over fears of new tensions.

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