European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned today's vandalism against the EC representation in Sofia, BTA reported.
"Outrageous scenes in Sofia, where vandalism was committed against our EU office. In Europe, we exercise the right to peaceful protest. "Violence and vandalism are never the right answer," von der Leyen wrote on her "Ex" profile.
Six people were detained and 10 police officers were injured as a result of the escalation of tension during the protest organized by the "Vazrazhdane" party, Deputy Director of the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR), Senior Commissioner Stefan Ivanov, announced at a briefing to journalists.
I cannot believe the footage of what is happening in front of the European Commission (EC) representation in Sofia, Bulgarian Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva wrote on Facebook.
"The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution, but it is absolutely unacceptable to desecrate the European Commission building - it is like burning and destroying our own home," adds Ekaterina Zaharieva.
Tensions arose in front of the EC representation building in Sofia earlier in the day during a protest organized by the political party "Vazrazhdane" against the introduction of the euro. Protesters threw red paint, eggs and firecrackers at the building, and its door was set on fire. Six people were arrested, 10 police officers were injured in the tension that arose, the SDVR reported.