Protests in Sofia and other cities of the country - Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Lovech, Veliko Tarnovo, Dobrich, Blagoevgrad and Sliven, are taking place tonight, BTA reported.
On Friday, in the wings of the parliament, after a briefing by GERB Chairman Boyko Borisov regarding the draft budget, a verbal argument broke out between him and the leaders of “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria“ Assen Vassilev, Ivaylo Mirchev, Bozhidar Bozanov, and the protest in front of the parliament last Thursday was also affected. The GERB leader said that he was not at the PP, but at the Association of Industrial Capital (AIKB), to which the PP-DB representatives reacted with the words: “It's ours“. Let's hold a protest on Monday, let's show Mr. Borisov whose protest it is, said Assen Vassilev.
On Sunday, in the program “120 Minutes“ on bTV, Vassilev addressed the Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov with a warning that provocations are being prepared for today's protest, which must be stopped, and he asked GERB leader Boyko Borisov to withdraw the draft budget for 2026 so that it does not “explode“ the country. “There is already a lot of information that provocations are being prepared for the protest. Last time there were provocations, incl. and by police officers, there were others who behaved very bravely and stopped the provocateurs. The protest was peaceful, this protest will also be peaceful, but you must stop the provocateurs and not allow the “New Beginning“ and the various groups to infiltrate provocateurs“, said the chairman of the PP.
“People got angry, they understood what the problem was with the budget and came out to protest. This was not a party protest, it was not of employers, but of many young people. This is the news - that generation Z came out to protest. They are another generation that gets angry very quickly. I think there will be many surprised on Monday after 6 p.m.“, commented the co-chairman of “Yes, Bulgaria“ Ivaylo Mirchev, quoted yesterday in a press release from the formation.
At a briefing earlier today, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, Director of the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR), announced that checkpoints will be built, at which all those with a profile of aggressive citizens, whom the police know from previous protests, will be thoroughly checked.