Protests of Bulgarian Policemen Continue For Third Consecutive Day

Policemen during their protest at the Eagles' Bridge in downtown Sofia on Wednesday. Photo: BGNES

The protests of Bulgarian policemen over the planned cuts in their social benefits are continuing for the third consecutive day on Thursday.

Trade unions had informed the municipality that a protest flashmob will take place between 18.30 and 20 EET at the Eagles' Bridge in Sofia on Thursday, daily Dnevnik protest.

On Wednesday, policemen had a permission to protest at the bus station in the Ovcha Kupel neighbourhoog in Sofia, with police officers disrupting traffic on the key Tsar Boris Treti boulevard and blocking the exit in the direction of Pernik.

At the same time, hundreds of policemen gathered without permission at the Eagles' Bridge in downtown Sofia, blocking the key junction for nearly two hours.

There were also protests across the country, some of them blocking key junctions, mountain passes and border checkpoints.

On Thursday, protests are also expected to take place in Vratsa, Elhovo, Silistra, Pleven, Ruse and other towns across the country.

The policemen continue to be discontent even after the government made some concessions to the planned cuts on Wednesday.

The discontent erupted after the government announced plans for cuts to the budget of the Interior Ministry, which would affect the remuneration of policemen, the compensations paid upon their retirement and their annual paid holidays.

In some places, servicemen have organised protests in solidarity with policemen as the budget of the Defence Ministry is facing similar cuts.

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