Sofia police to monitor for provocateurs at today’s protests

Around 20 checkpoints will be set up in the so-called “triangle of power” in central Sofia, the area surrounding the presidential, government, and parliament buildings, to ensure the peaceful conduct of another protest, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov said.

• Mass anti-government protests across Bulgaria ahead of the no-confidence vote

The protest, organised by the We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) party, is being held in response to the outgoing government’s fourth attempt to pass the state budget. At the same time, the civic movement Justice for All is holding a rally outside the Palace of Justice called SarafOFF, demanding the resignation of Acting Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov. Participants in the SarafOFF rally are expected to later join the demonstration in the triangle of power.

Chief Commissioner Nikolov said police would monitor the crowds for potential provocateurs as they move toward the protest. “There is always information about provocateurs. We carefully monitor social media, where participants sometimes make incendiary statements,” he said, adding that certain individuals had been filtered out after the last demonstration.

Editor: Diana Tsankova
Posted in English by E. Radkova