Residents of the Yambol village of Bezmer and neighboring settlements are organizing a protest and petition due to the expected arrival of American tanker planes and military personnel at the Bezmer airbase, bTV reported.
According to the information sent with a diplomatic note from the US Embassy in Sofia, up to eight tanker planes and up to 250 American military personnel are expected to arrive at the base today.
The mayor of the village of Bezmer, Rosen Rusev, stated that people do not expect the decision to be reversed, but they insist that the state inform them more clearly and provide guarantees for their safety.
„People are aware that we will not change the decision. However, when such things happen, they want to hear more guarantees of security and to know what measures have been taken to prevent incidents,“ he said.
According to him, the petition is already being held in several settlements, and residents of neighboring villages in Sliven district have also joined the initiative.
The collected signatures will be presented to the mayor of Tundzha municipality, and local authorities hope that they will also be accepted by the Minister of Defense.
Rosen Rusev, who has worked at the “Bezmer“ airbase for more than 8 years, believes that the presence of foreign military personnel does not bring real economic benefits to local communities.
“The foreign presence, whether American or otherwise, does not affect the lives of the local population. The military personnel are seconded, use hotels and organized transportation. We are not looking for an economic effect – people expect peace“, he said.
Rusev recalled that the airbase has traditionally provided work for people in the area and has been important for the development of the village, but stressed that the current concerns are related only to security.
According to the mayor, this is the first time that local residents feel such anxiety, since the conflict is not perceived as directly related to Bulgaria.
„For the first time in the history of the airbase, a foreign country has issued warnings related to the site. This is what worries people“, he pointed out.
The protest is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. about 500 meters from the entrance to the „Bezmer“ airbase.
The organizers assure that the demonstration will be peaceful and will not lead to violations of public order.