Bulgaria: Summary of riots in Sofia

On August 13 about 200 people gathered in the Sofia neighbourhood Krasna Poliana and started an organised fight in a bar. At least four of them were injured and taken to the hospital. Four Roma people from the fighters were arrested but were later released.

The fight was probably a revenge for the attack by 30 skinheads on three Roma people from the same district the previous night, Bulgarian-language Mediapool reported. One of the Roma people had to go to Pirogov hospital after he fainted several times and may have a broken jaw.

On August 14 the police presence in Krasna Poliana area was strengthened to prevent further conflicts.

In the same evening the Romas’ wrath lead to further clashes, Focus news agency reported. About 300 Roma people gathered on Vuzkresenie boulevard in Krasna Poliana shouting “Death to the Bulgarians”.

There were Romas not only from Krasna Polyana district but also from Fakulteto neighbourhood. One 28 year-old person injured themself during the gathering and was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital. One child of Roma descent suffered severe stress during the conflict.

The Romas were armed with wooden poles with nails and were threatening anyone who passed near them.

One elderly Roma complained that his community was constantly tortured by the skinheads. He said skinheads were beating elderly Romas, children and pregnant women.

The policemen arrived at the scene, near the Vietnamese area in Krasna Ployana, but were unable to disperse the crowd, even after shooting in the air. They left after several minutes, returning later with more reinforcements. The Roma people attacked the policemen and according to unofficial information a few policemen were injured. The Romas were, reportedly, breaking everything around them.

President Georgi Purvanov, Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov and Interior Minister Roumen Petkov were informed about the incident. Deputy Interior minister Kamen Penkov, deputy Prosecutor General Kamen Sitnilski and Euroroma leader Tsvetelin Kunchev visited the conflict. GERB leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Borissov arrived later.

Penkov said that the actions of the police were diplomatic and they were being given the opportunity to handle the situation peacefully.

Focus news agency reported that the Roma people were, however, trying to chase away the media. The Romas said to journalists that they were tortured daily by the Bulgarian population.

The people who lived nearby said that earlier the same day some Roma people attacked a car containing a family with small children.

The people said they have been harassed by the Roma for many years. They said over the past two years cellars in the neighbourhood had been set on fire on three different occasions.

Euroroma leader Kunchev left the area by car during the conflict. Before that he promised the people from Krasna Polyana that he would stay the whole night at the place.

After the situation calmed down, the Roma people staged a pre-election rally near their homes, Focus news agency reported.

Kunchev came and angrily scolded them for causing the riots. He shouted to the crowd for about half an hour before leaving under escort.

In total the Roma protest continued for about four hours, continuing late into the evening. About 50 Bulgarians also gathered at the same place and started singing the national anthem.

“As a city mayor I have ordered the immediate arrest of any man with a knife, an axe or a fork in a his hand,” Borssov said in front of journalists on August 15. He said earlier he had met with deputy chief of police Stoyan Velchev, who was also present at the protests the previous night. “If what I ordered is not followed, I will consider this not only as police stagnation but as boycotting work,” Borissov said. He questioned how useful it was to show people with knives on the TV and said they should all be arrested immediately. “We are deliberately creating ethnic tension and defining who is Roma, who is Bulgarian,” Borissov said. According to him any person with a weapon should be arrested regardless of their ethnic background.

Borissov was troubled by the fact that all policemen were in Krasna Polyana while in other districts there were robberies. In his opinion there was no political reason behind the riots. He said that the next step is to go into the Roma areas and talk to the Roma leaders. In addition, Borissov said that when he was Ministry of Interior chief secretary, such cases were concluded within a few hours.

Euroroma leader Kunchev said that his party informed the police about the people who organised the riots in Krasna Polyana. He said it was possible that there were political provocations from some radical nationalist parties. According to Kunchev it is hard to believe that there was some centralised preparation behind the riots. “I am tired of repeating that there were no skinheads,” he said with regard to the gathering on August 14.

Kunchev said that the Romas from Fakulteto who work in the Sofia cleaning companies are considering striking for several days. Kunchev said there were also reported victims of previous beatings by skinheads in Fakulteto.

“When the whole Sofia is covered with refuse and dirt, we will signal that we are also people and have the right to respect,” he said. According to him the decision was not final and it will be discussed with the Roma people from the other Sofia neighbourhoods.