site.btaUPDATED Three Individuals Detained, Five Police Officers Injured at Wednesday's Protest outside Parliament - Sofia Police Chief

Three people were detained during a protest outside the National Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, head of the Sofia Directorate of Interior, told journalists on Thursday. Five police officers were injured, he added.

The protest against the adoption of the 2026 budget bills drew large crowds to the square where the new National Assembly building is flanked by the President’s administration building and the Council of Ministers building. The protest lasted for more than six hours and wrapped up after midnight. On Wednesday evening, the Sofia Directorate of Interior reported that three officers had been injured while performing their duties.

Nikolov said that an Italian citizen was among those detained. He added that "the other two individuals tried to damage a National Service for Protection vehicle and get into an altercation with a person with immunity." Pre-trial proceedings have been launched in both cases.

Three protesters were injured, but there is no evidence that the police caused their injuries, Nikolov added.

Ivan Georgiev, head of the mass gatherings unit at the Sofia Directorate of Interior, commented on the escalation of tensions. He said that a police cordon had been formed around the MP’s car, and that no physical force or auxiliary means were used until objects were thrown at the vehicle. "The car’s front windshield was broken. The life of the person with immunity was put at risk, as well as the safety of the officers working to maintain public order. In that situation, the use of pepper spray became necessary," Georgiev said. He added that as the car drove away, aggression toward the police increased. He denied any provocation by the police.