GERB supporters protested in Sofia against the arrest of the party leader and former PM Boyko Borissov

MPs and supporters of GERB on March 18 gathered at a protest against the arrest of the party leader Boyko Borisov. This is the party's first protest since it has been in opposition.

Former PM Borissov and GERB party members arrested in police operation, supporters stage protest outside his home in Bankya

Former PM Borissov will remain in police custody over the night

The protest started in front of the Council of Ministers, then moved to the building of the Ministry of Interior and then to the Parliament. After 12.00, some of the protesters moved in front of the building of the General Directorate of National Police.

The protest was peaceful. MPs from the parliamentary group spoke to the supporters in front of the MoI. There were calls for early elections, the resignation of the cabinet, but the main demand is the immediate release of Borissov.

"Today is the day when all democratically thinking people say stop to police arbitrariness. Today is the day when GERB is here to say that ridiculous, drunkards and all sorts of populists, brutalists, have no place in the government of Bulgaria," said Desislava Atanasova - chairwoman of the GERB parliamentary group.

"There is now a dictatorship in Bulgaria, here is the dictator. Resignation. And this is the dictator's chief of staff. Resignation," said Kostadin Angelov from GERB.

"In fact, all this is the culmination of this aggression against members and supporters of GERB," Tsveta Karayanchev from GERB said.

Traffic in the area of the protest was blocked. There was an increased police presence.

Earlier in the morning, there was also a protest in front of the General Directorate of the National Police, where Borissov was detained. Tomislav Donchev, Danail Kirilov, Hristo Terziiski and members of GERB party's youth organisation were among the protesters.

The party's PR Nikola Nikolov said that colleagues from all over the country were travelling to Sofia. The decision of the Executive Committee yesterday was "to attract the maximum number of members, sympathisers and citizens who care about democracy in this country" to join a protest they are organising at 9.30 in front of the Council of Ministers building.

Nikolov described what happened as a "brutal political repression undertaken by those ruling the state - Kiril Petkov (PM), Boyko Rashkov(Minister of Interior) - illegal arrests, detentions".

He also asked why this arrest took place after the European chief prosecutor Laura Kövesi left Bulgaria. He asked if she had any agreements with PM Kiril Petkov. Nikolov also confirmed that Sevdalina Arnaudova was also detained.

Nikolov described what happened as a "brutal political repression undertaken by the rulers of the state - Kiril Petkov, Boyko Rashkov - illegal arrests, detentions".

images by Dessislava Kulelieva, Kristian Garov, BNT

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