(22 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sofia, Bulgaria – 22 February 2025
1. Back of Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of pro-Russian Vazrazhdane Party, watching nationalist protesters gather in front of EU Commission office
2. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Kostadin Kostadinov, Leader of Pro-Russian Vazrazhdane Party:
"There is a dictatorship in Europe and it’s not just us from Vazrazhdane saying this, it’s the vice president of the largest country in the world, the USA. He told them (the EU) it."
3. Vazrazhdane party supporter wearing mask of Donald Trump with text on cap ready (English) “Make Bulgaria great again”
4. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Kostadin Kostadinov, Leader of Pro-Russian Vazrazhdane Party:
"This gang wants to bring Bulgaria into the Eurozone despite the opinion of 80% of the Bulgarian people. We will not allow it and we start today."
5. Nationalist protesters prepare eggs filled with red paint
6. Vazrazhdane party activists throw red paint and incendiary projectiles at EU Commission office
7. Police arrest protester
8. Smoke and flames pouring from door of EU Commission office
9. Commander giving orders to policemen, UPSOUND (Bulgarian) "No use of force"
10. Smoke and flames
11. Police trying to push back protesters
12. Wide of protest
13. Police officer holding his eye hit with red paint
14. Police in riot gear arriving
15. Debris in front of EU Commission building
16. EU Commission sign covered with red paint
17. Various of police guarding building
STORYLINE:
Police in Bulgaria’s capital clashed with nationalist protesters Saturday who demanded the government scrap plans to take the country into the eurozone.
The clash occurred as some 1,000 protesters gathered in front of the Sofia office of the European Commission and began throwing red paint and firecrackers at the building, eventually setting fire to the door of the offices.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene as well as police reinforcements who pushed back the protesters.
Police said that several protesters had been arrested, while some policemen had been injured during the clashes.
The protest, organized by the pro-Russia nationalists of the Vazrazhdane party, began earlier on Saturday outside the headquarters of the Bulgarian National Bank.
Waving national and party flags and chanting “No to the euro” and “Yes to the Bulgarian lev”, the protesters demanded the government resign.
Bulgaria, which joined the European Union in 2007, has been plagued by political instability in recent years.
The new government, which was formed last month, has made accession to the Eurozone a key priority.
AP video by Valentina Petrova
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