The largest peaceful protest in many years was marred by a group of hooded hooligans, said Mayor Vasil Terziev on the air of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) regarding tonight's protest.
It is extremely painful to watch the city being destroyed, said the mayor. According to him, there was damage to the GERB headquarters "Oborishte" on "Dondukov" Blvd., police cars, buses on "Yanko Sakazov" Blvd. and the Chavdar bridge, there are burning buckets.
When asked why there was no electricity in part of downtown Sofia for two hours during the protests tonight, Vasil Terziev said the cause was a fire at the Rila substation. "It may have been set on fire," the mayor suggested.
When asked if the police were sufficiently prepared for this protest, the mayor said he could not comment. The question is for the Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov, Terziev said.
The end result is that an exceptionally peaceful protest led to the vandalization of the city, said Mayor Terziev.
Asked whether the protest's pass-through regime worked and whether people were checked for bombs and other objects they shouldn't be carrying, Terziev said that this question should be asked to other authorities.
Vasil Terziev said that he has always called for us to protect our city. "But those who are committing the outrages right now, no matter what I tell them, I don't think it would stop them. We all know that they are there for a purpose", said Vasil Terziev.
Asked if he had any information about the provocateurs, the mayor said that he could not know who they were, but they were very clearly visible and they did not belong there among the young people and mothers with children. The groups of people with hoods, dressed entirely in black with wrenches sticking out of their pockets, were very clearly visible, said Mayor Terziev.
He said that the moment the riots end, the cleaning will begin, the garbage collection will begin and public transport will be restored tomorrow.