On Wednesday, thousands of Bulgarians protested in front of the parliament in Sofia recording one of the biggest protests in the two months of demonstrations demanding the three-times Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, to resign.
Protesters threw over 100 small bombs and firecrackers at police. Whereas, the police brought a water cannon to disperse the crowd. The police also arrested around 60 people.
Although protest leaders urged for a peaceful rally, protesters threw eggs, apples, and garbage at police. Protesters also shook police vehicles, and according to Sofia Police Chief Georgi Hadzhiev, nearly 100 police officers were affected by pepper spray aimed at them by protesters.
Protest leaders said provocateurs attacked the police.
Sofia Health officials reported around 45 people including police officers, were treated in hospitals.
Protesters called the demonstrations “Grand National Uprising” as a response to Borissovan government’s plan for a new constitution.
Protesters blame Prime Minister Borissov and Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev of being unable to battle corruption in the country. Protesters state that corruption has eroded the rule of law and benefited the powerful tycoons in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev called for Borissov’s centre-right government’s removal and appealed to deputies to dissolve plans for a new constitution.
“It was not the lack of new constitution that brought the people on the streets, but the lack of morality in the leadership, the erosion of statehood and the corruption,” President Rumen said.
Borissov has vowed to remove himself as Prime Minister if parliament permits his plan for holding the election of a grand national assembly which would vote on a new constitution that should result in improving the independence of the judiciary and halve the number of deputies.
Opposition parties, as well as protesters, have disregarded Borissov’s plan as a ploy which would help Borissov stay in-office for longer as the vote on whether Bulgaria should have a new constitution may take place in November at the earliest.