Sofia and Varna Fill the Streets in Support of “Political Prisoners”

Yesterday, protesters gathered once again in Sofia’s triangle of power, reviving slogans and songs familiar from Bulgaria’s turbulent political past. The crowd sang a reworked version of the old protest chant set to the melody of When the saints go marching in, replacing the names of past political targets with “Peevski” and joking that no one wanted to be “underneath when he falls.” The atmosphere recalled the demonstrations against Zhan Videnov in the 1990s, when similar songs and chants echoed through the streets. Even the taunts shouted at earlier rallies, once directed at “the red,” now focused on “the fat,” marking a continuity in Bulgaria’s protest folklore.

This latest demonstration was held under the banner “Freedom for political prisoners,” and was organized by opposition party We Continue the Change in support of Varna’s detained mayor Blagomir Kotsev and former Sofia deputy mayor Nikola Barbutov. Both have spent months in custody, and their supporters argue they are effectively serving sentences before a court ruling. For Kotsev, the Supreme Court of Cassation ruled that his case must proceed in Varna. The protest marked a rare moment where political leaders took the stage alongside citizens, with figures from Democratic Bulgaria joining in. The organizers framed the event as proof that change requires strong political backing, not simply street pressure.

The triangle of power was filled to a degree not seen since the mass outcry over the attempted appointment of Delyan Peevski as head of the National Security Agency (SANS) in 2013. This time, an installation of a giant piggy bank stood in the square, set up by We Continue the Change to symbolize how public funds were flowing into circles close to the authorities. Many protesters told friends over the phone, “I’m in front of the pig’s snout,” using the sculpture as a landmark. After the speeches, the crowd marched toward Eagle Bridge, passing a Russian restaurant where they chanted “This is not Moscow.” Some participants threw gestures at onlookers behind the windows.

From there, the procession headed to the headquarters of the DPS New Beginning party, heavily guarded by police. The sight of the cordon sparked irritation, and once again the crowd broke into the song about Peevski falling. Posters throughout the rally expressed anger at the detentions: “Since when is the court a prosecutor’s office,” “Release the political prisoners,” and “Blago is in custody because he is a mayor.”

Speakers addressed the crowd with sharp criticism. Yes, Bulgaria co-leader Ivaylo Mirchev told participants that political change would not come through comfort or hesitation, insisting that “we’ll have to get dirty” to confront those in power. Lena Borislavova reported that Kotsev and Barbutov had finally been allowed outside into the prison yard after 130 days, and that pressure had resulted in the two being placed in the same cell and some repairs being made. Kiril Petkov described these developments as a small but meaningful step forward.

Parallel to the Sofia demonstration, Varna held its thirteenth consecutive protest demanding Kotsev’s release. Several hundred people initially gathered, but their numbers soon rose to around 500, lighting up the facade of the Municipality building with their phone flashlights and chanting “Varna for Blago” and “Freedom.” Traffic in front of the municipal headquarters was blocked for about twenty minutes. Acting mayor Snezhana Apostolova addressed the crowd, saying the struggle would continue until Kotsev returned home to his family after more than four months in detention. Many participants insisted the situation had crossed every boundary of what they considered normal, adding that the government’s proposed budget was “unacceptable.”

Later in the day, a larger demonstration in Varna drew close to 1,000 people. Protesters again shut down the main intersection and then marched along Knyaz Boris I Boulevard. Two petitions circulated: one demanding Kotsev’s release once he returns to Varna, and another opposing planned tax and social security increases. Participants insisted that citizens had a duty to voice their anger against what they described as injustice, abuse of power and an increasingly arbitrary political environment.