A new protest against the draft budget for next year and the government in general has begun in Sofia. The demonstrators gathered in the Triangle of Power. One of their main demands is the withdrawal of Budget 2026 and the submission of a new, corrected draft.
► 8:13 p.m. A second ambulance arrived at the protest
A second emergency vehicle was spotted coming towards the square after the first ambulance had left, Nova TV reported.
Demonstrators lit a torch in the heart of the protest, and the organizers called for it to be extinguished immediately.
► People continue to arrive, an ambulance was allowed to pass through to the square in front of the National Assembly
An ambulance was allowed to pass through by the protesters towards the square in front of the National Assembly. It is unclear what exactly happened.
► 7:56 p.m. The center of Sofia is blocked
All spaces around the Triangle of Power are crowded with people. Traffic in the very heart of the capital is blocked. The demonstration is taking place peacefully. The dissatisfied wave flags and posters and chant demands against the budget.
► 6:00 p.m. Start of the protest
The start of the protest was announced for 6 p.m. People were arriving long after that. There was also a special projection on the facade of the parliament building, where the words “shame“ and “freedom“ were written.
The police issued a warning against escalations, and the opposition said that they had information about provocateurs in the squares. There are police cordons around the buildings of all the main institutions in the area.
The SDVR announced at noon on Monday that they are building a total of 9 checkpoints. The goal is to check for the import of prohibited items and to prevent an escalation of tension.
The checkpoints are next to "Maria-Luiza" Boulevard, in the passage to the Council of Ministers, on "Lege" Street next to the Presidency, in front of and behind the National Art Gallery, the intersection of "Triaditsa" and "Serdika" Streets, on "Dondukov" Boulevard near "Veslets" Street and on "Knyaz Alexander Parvi" Street.
NOVA viewers sent photos and videos of a huge crowd of people gathering at metro stations, trying to get to the center of the capital to join the demonstration.
We recall that this is the second major protest against Budget 2026 in recent days. The previous demonstration in the center of Sofia took place on November 26.