Paid Provocateurs Disrupt Peaceful Sofia Protest in Staged Confrontation with Police (VIDEO)

Shortly after 10 p.m., tensions on Dondukov Boulevard in Sofia rose sharply, marking the escalation many had anticipated. Groups of men dressed in dark sportswear and hooded jackets appeared along the boulevard and began vandalizing police property and setting rubbish containers on fire. Some blended into the police line, while chants usually heard at football matches echoed behind them. Officers advanced toward the group several times, but there were no direct clashes. Various objects were thrown across the boulevard, prompting peaceful demonstrators to step aside.

By around 10:30 p.m., the situation deteriorated further. A tight formation of officers with shields and helmets blocked the boulevard as the aggressive group continued to hurl stones, bottles and street debris at them. Many of those provoking the unrest had their faces concealed. Near the English High School, flames rose from overturned and burning garbage containers.

The unrest soon reached the GERB office on Dondukov Boulevard. The premises were attacked, triggering an alarm, and a smoke bomb was thrown inside. Equipment was dragged out, and the interior was left in ruins. Sirens sounded through the area as the attackers brought in a burning chair in an apparent attempt to set the office ablaze. At that point, the crowd intervened, warning that the building housed residents and stopping the fire from spreading further. Despite this, the office itself was left badly damaged.

Close to 11 p.m., firefighters reached the boulevard and began extinguishing the burning containers and debris scattered across the intersections. Heavy smoke lingered over the area, making breathing difficult. Amid the chaos, a young man was struck with a jar. Police attempted to direct the agitators toward the Chavdar Bridge but did not intervene substantially while the destruction along Dondukov unfolded.

The damage along the boulevard was significant, with municipal property bearing the brunt: bins, containers, pegs and curbstones were broken or overturned. After the most intense moments had passed, regular demonstrators worked to restore some of the area, picking up bins and trying to prevent further escalation. Calls to protect children and appeals not to burn anything echoed from the calmer parts of the crowd as the night’s unrest gradually subsided.