Author: Vildan Bairyamova
In 24 cities in the country, where DPS - New Beginning has structures, rallies were held last night in support of the government. However, the basis for the slogan “No to hatred!“ was never seen &ndquo; most of those asked did not know who hated them, nor why they were in the squares. But the leader Delyan Peevski expressed his delight on Facebook: “Today we gave a lesson in democracy and love for Bulgaria! Today was a wonderful day for Bulgarian democracy“. And no information about his presence at any of the rallies announced as protests against the protest days ago has emerged.
"My brothers Turks, Pomaks, Roma…"
„I will not allow my brothers Turks, Pomaks, Roma, Millet to be slandered! I will not allow them to sow hatred towards the MRF! No to hatred!“, he announced this a week earlier and then inspired the gathering of people in the squares. Also 6 days ago, local party structures issued declarations in which they condemned „attempts to provocation and instill hatred and ethnic tension“, which have flared up recently.
Yesterday in Kardzhali, sympathizers and activists arrived on company and school buses, moving in groups through the streets, as if in a hurry to work. "Peevski gave the money for the asphalt repair, look how nice it turned out," "Peevski is our leader, we are going to defend him and tell them not to hate him," those questioned answered with a half-smile. Workers from road construction companies in service jackets had also joined in.
A day earlier, Peevski suddenly arrived in Kardzhali with his impressive retinue of security guards, and because of this visit, traffic in half the city was blocked. From the press releases it became clear that he had become acquainted with the development and progress of the city during his visits to a church, a mosque, a new kindergarten and a renovated school. The film with the footage from the objects in question was projected on a huge screen at the rally. But Peevski himself was missing.
Social networks overflowed with videos and comments, but they did not come close to the messages from the party press center. According to PR claims, there were over 20,000 people on the square in Kardzhali, but this is far from the truth - the small square with the iconic name "Liberation" was not even full. "They told us to come, the bus was free and here they handed out flags and posters to us", "We don't know anything, we are against the euro", "We are all depessaries here, we will say "no to hatred" - this is how those questioned answered yesterday. And no one openly admitted to receiving financial incentives for the evening walk. "No one hates us and we don't hate people, we should be equal, the leader says so", many parried the questions about hatred. Others looked on in bewilderment and remained silent. And the high decibels filled the space with popular Bulgarian songs, followed by the anthems of Bulgaria and the European Union.
"Peevski - the heart and soul of the MRF"
The microphones overheated from the fiery speeches of the mayors of the 7 municipalities in the region. It is known that in order to run for such, they had to go through Ahmed Dogan's reception room in his palace for approval. But then, under the pressure of the “phenomenon” Peevski quickly took pictures with him under the coat of arms in the notorious room 222 (once the abode of Todor Zhivkov) in the former Party House, which housed the parliament. And then the money for the renovation projects, contributed during the time of Finance Minister Assen Vassilev, was “unsealed”. So for this same money, the municipal mayors shouted words of gratitude and appreciation to Peevski, and urged no one to hate “the best leader, who showed how to do politics and how to work for the people“.
“In recent days, we have been observing the actions of a certain circle of people whose main goal is clear – to humiliate a leader who is the only one working to solve the problems of the people, and that is our leader Delyan Peevski. Their goal is to weaken the will of the people, of the people, they want order in Bulgaria to be shaken and chaos to ensue. Why is the target again our leader Mr. Peevski – because for years he has been carrying the heavy burden for the stability, security and order of our country“, passionately read her first page MP Elvan Gyurkas, former head of the local NRA. And he specified that he had the power “to break the schemes and interests of certain circles that are afraid of strong leaders like Mr. Peevski and because he is among the most approved politicians“. So in this style and with the same fervor, Gyurkas read his speech, and the speeches of the mayors followed. Which were also like defensive pleas for the “Magnitsky“ act sanctioned by the USA and Great Britain. But there was not a word about the latter, which is understandable.
The last to speak from the podium was the mayor of Kardzhali and Peevski's deputy in the party, Erol Mumun. He blamed those calling for the government's resignation for “the series of early elections and caretaker cabinets, the political impotence from which people and municipalities suffer“. And he stressed that “we have all seen where they have brought us, but Bulgaria needs a working government, ministers and departments more than ever“. The mayor expressed his gratitude to his leader, “who opened a new page in the model of governance and statehood, which always puts people and their problems first“.
According to him, in recent days the MRF has been unfairly accused of once again pulling out the ethnic card. But this was never done, and the slogan “No to hatred!“ meant that every opinion should be respected. “Hatred always breeds hatred, over the years the MRF has always proven that it is a guarantor of peace, stability, and a strong state. Full support for a stable state, for the government, for democracy and kindness!“, Erol Mumun called. This was followed by faint cries of “Let's sing, let's sing!“ from the protesters with the banners. He also conveyed Peevski's greetings to the square, defining it as “the heart and soul of the MRF“.
And the protest against the protest ended, the people dispersed quietly, most of them headed to the buses for the return journey to their homes in the region. Another large group stopped in front of the central office of the MRF (next to the building of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), guarded by strong men with shaved heads.
The involuntary association with January 1990
The older people in Kardzhali still remember the frosty first day of 1990. At that time, the city was on the verge of ethnic conflict. Three days before that, on December 19, 1989, the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party made the decision to restore the previously taken away names of Bulgarian Turks. On the evening of December 31, 1989, taxi drivers gathered at a central intersection and protested against the decision, followed by a noisy motorcade with horns blaring and flags waving through the streets. These are the same ones who, in the hot summer, transported the forcibly displaced Turks with their meager household goods to the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint.
And on January 1, 1990, in the morning, tension gathered in the city center - led astray by the deliberate rumor from the State Security that a showdown with the Bulgarians was imminent and that the Turks were preparing autonomy. The next day, Andrey Lukanov arrived in Kardzhali, and the Politburo of the Bulgarian Communist Party issued a declaration calling on the population "to step firmly on the path of reconciliation, goodwill, mutual assistance and joint work for the construction of this ancestral land of Bulgaria."
In front of the building of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party (now housing the municipal and regional administrations), thousands of Bulgarians chanted "Turks in Turkey, Bulgaria for the Bulgarians"... And on the other side of the boulevard, ethnic Turks and Muslims are arriving, wanting their birth names back. Only a cordon of police officers and a small distance separates the two protests. Andrey Lukanov tried to calm the restless Bulgarians, but they booed him. The Turks, however, applauded him. The conflict passed.
“Now there are people, this Peevski, who want to get us into such trouble, what are they protesting for now? To make us hate each other, that won't be it!“, commented white-haired men bent over with age in the late afternoon.