Ministry of Interior: Definitely not true that police took out protesters forcibly from the building of Parliament

The information in online news outlets that "police officers forcibly took out protesters from the building of the National Assembly" is definitely not true, an official position of the Ministry of Interior, sent to the media on September 17, says.

The police officers do not have legal powers to ensure or restore public order on the territory of the buildings of the National Assembly, which security is entirely within the competence of the National Service for Protection, the Ministry of Interior explained.

The responsibilities of the employees of the Ministry of Interior are to guarantee public order in the outer perimeter of the buildings of the National Assembly. Therefore, any actions to take out members of the public from inside the buildings of the Bulgarian Parliament is beyond the powers of the police, the statement reads.