The Ministry of Interior is searching for all those who participated in the clashes in front of the European Commission building in Sofia yesterday. They are identified from the recordings from the cameras at the scene.
It has been ordered that all participants in the vandalism be removed from anonymity, after which legal action will be taken against them, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov told BNT.
Four people currently remain in custody. Initially, six were arrested, but two were released because they have immunity - one is an MP and the other is a candidate for mayor.
The clashes came after the protest organized by the "Vazrazhdane" party against the adoption of the euro in Bulgaria escalated into a storming of the European Commission building. Red paint, smoke bombs and bombs flew towards her. 10 police officers were injured, there were also injured protesters.
Daniel Mitov - Minister of Interior: "All those who participated in the riots will suffer consequences, considering that there are recordings of what happened in front of the European Commission building. The Ministry of Interior and the Bulgarian state will not allow such protests to escalate into a frenzy, into acts of vandalism and into anarchy. - Currently, 4 people remain in custody, are others being sought? - Others are being sought, they are currently being identified from the camera recordings. There will certainly be more. It has been ordered that all participants in the unregulated actions and vandalism be removed from anonymity and that legal action be taken against them accordingly."
As of this hour, there are no hospitalized police officers after yesterday's protest at “Vazrazhdane“, in which 10 police officers were injured. This was stated by senior police officer Hristina Kirilova from the “Specialized Police Forces“ department on “Nova TV“, BTA reported.
All of them were examined yesterday, their wounds were treated and the police officers are home. Some of them had more serious injuries to the face and eyes.
Kirilova is among the injured police officers. She has a bruise in the lower back after a fall caused by a protester who pushed her. The woman slipped in the paint that was sprayed by the protesters in front of the European Commission office in Sofia.
The protest announced and permitted by the political party “Vazrazhdane“ is for the space in front of the Bulgarian National Bank. However, the protesters subsequently went on a spontaneous and unregulated march ending at the European Commission office, explained Senior Police Officer Kirilova.
The police officers set up a cordon. However, several people broke through the cordon. One of the protesters pushed her, she slipped and fell into the paint that was sprayed below. "I got up immediately because I was afraid that the crowd would trample me", said Kirilova. She saw the same protester throw an object at the European Commission office, which set the door on fire. Kirilova later managed to detain him.
According to the police officer, most of her colleagues were sprayed with paint - all their clothes, their official equipment, and the medics removed objects from the eyes of some of them, probably from pyrotechnics or paint.
Kirilova said she was outraged by what happened yesterday. “There are other ways to protest - everyone has the right to express their opinion peacefully”, said the police officer. And we also have families who are waiting for us to come home alive and well, she added.
Kirilova pointed out that yesterday, due to the adrenaline, she did not feel the trauma in her lower back so strongly, but today the pain is getting worse.
According to the police officer, the crowd was very aggressive, there were also provocateurs, people who hid their identities with scarves and masks.
Six people were detained during a protest organized by the "Vazrazhdane" party to protect the Bulgarian lev, the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs announced at a briefing for journalists, after tension arose between the protesters and police representatives.
10 police officers were injured after the protesters' aggressive actions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced.
Political forces condemned the attack on the building of the European Commission representation in Sofia.