site.btaProtesters in Sofia Demand Interior Minister's Resignation
A protest in front of the Ministry of Interior here on Thursday demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Daniel Mitov. The event was organized by the civic movement BOEC with support from the political party Continue the Change.
Georgi Georgiev, member of the BOEC management board, said at the rally: "Mitov must resign, because he bears personal responsibility. He must go because, after the government's resignation, we cannot allow him to preserve the legitimacy of the elections." Georgiev called on the protesters to block Parliament during the debate and vote on the next no-confidence motion.
The protesters demanded the resignation not only of Mitov, but of the entire Cabinet. Some of them threw toilet paper, small coins and eggs at the ministry building, while others tried to push the police officers and hurled insults at them. The protest ended shortly before 21:00.
Other protests calling for the government’s resignation also took place in cities across the country on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Sofia said it was investigating 16 pre-trial proceedings for hooliganism related to the Monday protest against the 2026 State Budget Bill held in downtown Sofia. Fourteen people aged 18 to 36 have been charged, ten of whom were initially detained for up to 72 hours. According to the prosecution, some of the defendants overturned waste containers and threw stones, pyrotechnics, and bottles at police, injuring three officers; several suspects reportedly have prior criminal records. Investigators are reviewing video footage, questioning witnesses, and considering requests for continued detention. Despite these incidents, the head of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, described the protest as generally peaceful, noting a total of 71 arrests.
Earlier on Thursday, Interior Minister Dimitar Mitov told Parliament that Sofia Municipality had authorized only a static protest in the capital on December 1, not a march, and that securing an unapproved route was therefore impossible. He said police had set up 21 checkpoints, but part of the crowd nonetheless moved along an unauthorized route. According to Mitov, officers used pepper spray but no physical force to contain the situation. He reported that 75 people were detained in connection with the unrest, 23 of whom were already known to the authorities from previous incidents at protests.
Mitov also told Parliament that there was no reason for him to resign. He noted that grounds for resignation could exist if an incident had occurred resulting in mass casualties or serious health problems, or if there were a debate over whether the police had used excessive force or violence.
Continue the Change Co-chair Assen Vassilev and Yes, Bulgaria Co-chair Ivaylo Mirchev called on Interior Minister Daniel Mitov to resign, saying that he had allowed police officers to be assaulted during a peaceful protest and a peaceful march. Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov said "a handful of provocateurs", instigated by the government, and "most likely from Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning Chair and Floor Leader Delyan Peevski himself", drew media attention away from the protest main objective, "because the police response was inadequate."
/RY/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text