Politico | Riot police and protesters clash in Bulgaria as corruption crisis deepens
- Dozens of people were taken to the hospital and several were detained by police
- Protester ‘grand national uprising’ is in response to government plan for new constitution
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Boryana Dzhambazova on politico.com on September 2, 2020.
On several occasions, police reportedly used pepper spray, while the demonstrators threw eggs, tomatoes, water bottles and garbage at police officers, who were cordoning off one of the major boulevards running by the parliament building. Dozens of people, including police and journalists, were taken to hospital, and several protesters were detained.
Demonstrators have gathered in Sofia every evening since early July to protest a decline in the rule of law and state capture by oligarchs. Borissov, the leader of centre-right GERB party, has dominated the political landscape for more than a decade.
