After the Protest in Sofia - Tension on the Streets of the City

Large-scale protests against the government on December 10. In the capital the demonstration took place in the Triangle of Power and in front of the BNB with the main demand being the resignation of the government.

More than 30 people were detained, with police reporting the discovery of knives, brass knuckles and explosive devices among some of those arrested, according to the Sofia Directorate of the Interior Ministry.

The protest officially ended at 21:20.

Most participants dispersed, though some briefly blocked traffic at Orlov Bridge (Eagles' Bridge). A briefing from the capital’s police was expected shortly afterwards.

A group of masked youths appeared in central Sofia. They moved towards Orlov Bridge and then towards the headquarters of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF).

“The police are managing a situation involving around 50–60 individuals showing aggressive behaviour near Vrabcha Street,” the director of the Sofia Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, told journalists at a briefing.

Their profile matches that of football fan groups and so-called “locals”, Chief Commissioner Nikolov said.
He thanked the members of the public who protested peacefully.

According to him, around 40 people were detained during the earlier protest in central Sofia.

The masked youths were unable to reach their intended destination because of a dense police cordon. Firecrackers were set off and rubbish bins were again set on fire.