Checkpoints are being set up at the site of the budget protest planned for Monday evening in Sofia, the SDVR announced. At the protest, the opposition and dissatisfied citizens will continue with their demands for the withdrawal of the budget plan.
The Director of the SDVR, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, announced that there have been many calls for hooliganism during the demonstration. "In this regard, I declare that the SDVR is ready to provide security for the mass event. Checkpoints will be set up at which individuals with a profile of aggressive citizens, known from previous protests, will be checked. We rely on vigilant citizens, as well as the stewards hired by the organizers, to identify preparations for illegal actions," he noted.
Nikolov appealed to the Sofia Municipality to exercise its powers and, in the event of an escalation of tension, to issue an order to end the protest. "We have nothing against peaceful protesters. However, when aggressive individuals deliberately provoke or destroy state property and attack colleagues, they will be immediately removed. This happens when we are allowed to end the event," the commissioner summarized.
We recall that in recent days, mass public discontent has erupted in our country against the draft state budget for 2026. Thousands of citizens gathered in the capital - in the Triangle of Power. The discontent was provoked by increases in social security contributions and the tax on dividends envisaged in the draft.
The reaction of the authorities was swift: just days after the demonstrations, the government announced that it would withdraw the draft budget permanently. However, it was later explained that only the adoption procedure had been frozen in order to change certain parameters.