Thousands of Bulgarians gathered on Wednesday evening in central Sofia for another anti-government protest, rallying under the slogan “Resignation. Pevski and Borissov out of power,” as demonstrators chanted for the cabinet to step down.
The rally took place in the so-called “triangle of power,” outside the government, parliament and presidency buildings. The protests coincided with a tense day in parliament, where lawmakers debated for more than four hours on a no-confidence motion submitted by the We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria alliance over the government’s economic policy. The four parties supporting the cabinet indicated they would vote against the motion.
Organisers said demonstrations were planned in at least 35 cities across Bulgaria and abroad later in the evening.
In Sofia, students from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and Sofia University blocked Rakovski Street earlier in the day, while law students gathered outside the main university building.
Authorities deployed more than 150 volunteer marshals wearing reflective vests to maintain order around the capital, covering roughly 40 locations in a 500-metre radius around the protest site.
From the main stage, a protest host criticised DPS politician Delyan Pevski, who has been sanctioned for corruption by foreign authorities, and mocked counter-protests organised under the banner “No to Hate” by the DPS–New Beginning group.
He told the crowd there was “no doubt why we are here,” adding that some participants in the counter-rallies “did not seem very sure why they were there.”