MOI report: Police action prevented serious consequences of protest at National Theatre

In a report to caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, the Interior Ministry has said that the escalation of the protest outside the Ivan Vazov National Theatre was caused by the actions of the theatre's director, Vasil Vassilev, which were not coordinated with the police officers present.

On 7 November, on the opening night of the play "Arms and the Man", directed by John Malkovich, several hundred nationalists surrounded the National Theatre and prevented spectators who had bought tickets from entering the building.

The demonstrators became violent and several people were assaulted. The victims of the aggression then complained that the police had failed to protect them. An hour before the show, the director of the theatre went out to talk to the demonstrators, but the protesters physically attacked him and police officers had to push him back into the building.

According to the Interior Ministry's report, the police prevented the nationalists from using pyrotechnics and causing serious damage to state, municipal and private property in front of the theatre.