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Anti-vaccine protesters attempted to storm Bulgaria's parliament and clashed with police, during a large rally against pandemic restrictions in central Sofia.
3,000
Tempers flared about an hour after 3,000 people gathered outside parliament. Their demand was to abolish the compulsory health certificate which, they claim, violates their rights and indirectly forces people to be vaccinated.
The gathering, many of whom arrived by bus in the city centre, broke the police cordon around parliament and reached the main gate of the building. They did not go inside but demanded that MPs come out and listen to their demands. Several people, including police officers, were injured in the minor riots that preceded them.
With ultranationalist banners
Holding Bulgarian flags and banners of the ultranationalist Renaissance party, which organised the rally, the demonstrators chanted "Freedom" and "Mafia" and denounced all the measures taken to deal with the pandemic.
"I do not approve of green certificates. I do not approve of children not being allowed to attend classes. I don't see what the logic of these things is," engineer Asparuh Mitov, 39, told Reuters.
Masks indoors
Bulgarians must wear masks indoors and on transport and show a health certificate (obtained by those who have been vaccinated, recovered or have a negative test) to enter restaurants, cafes, shopping centres and gyms.
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Kirill Petkov, who took office last month and pledged to boost vaccination, told BTV public television that he regretted not being able to meet with the protesters but was ready to do so on Friday, when the quarantine he has been placed under ends. Petkov, President Rumen Radev and government ministers were quarantined because they were close contacts of a positive case.
The prime minister reiterated that the health pass will not be abolished.
Source: in.gr
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