bulgarian protests day 21

[Garcia Lorca]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Bulgarian_protests

well im out in sunny sofia, its day 21 of the protests and they begin at 9am right below our hotel balcony.
spent the past couple of mornings trying to investigate and talk to people to see whats going on. its incredible, the amount of under reporting of the people on the streets daily and has no sign of stopping.
very interesting stuff, so far the police have been great but they are in huge numbers throughout the city. almost as many as the amount that guarded a very small gay pride march at this time last year and that was A LOT!

ive tried accessing social networking sites, ie facebook out here but we cant on any computer or wi fi network. dont know if its being deliberately blocked or they are trying to stop spread of info regarding protests.. or if its just a facebook thang.

not sure how many people know of whats going on, but theres a lot of anger that it isnt being reported much outside the country. I hear its starting again now outside hotel.. so off to sit on the balcony and have a gander.

 

[nogojones]

My lad told me that Bulgaria went last night, but I ain't seen much newswise. Please tell us more

 

[Pingu]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=bulgaria+protests&meta=&rlz=

hth

 

[Remus Harbank]

all these protests wherever one looks are about the same thing – inflation, increasing poverty, joblessness, corruption, the scamocracy that's holding sway globally. The Western Media Conglomerates (the Monovoice) have to be seen to do some 'reporting' (except the BBC which has given up completely on that front and talks about phone boxes instead), and that's why Egypt's protests are about ‘The Leadership’ (come on for the third time???) as is Turkey, Brazil's about a 'Sports Stadium' and 'Bus Fares' (yeah right), etc… The ones that don't have an easy narrative are being ignored: Stockholm, and now Bulgaria.

 

[Garcia Lorca]

from speaking to locals the past couple of days the price and the sale of bulgarias electricity providers to other countries is a big issue to them, the money coming in from the sales appears to be staying with the certain government members and the price hike is being passed down to the people who are already on some of the lowest wages in europe.

one of the big things that i am hearing is that the world is not being told of the protests, currently i cannot access facebook or twitter anywhere in sofia.. but all other sites are accessible. maybe a conspiracy? but you never know that they could be controlling social network sites.
the protests start in the morning outside my hotel... one of the ministry of justices, however by the evening the numbers swell to thousands outside various government buildings (including the former communist headquarters). they are peacefully blocking certain road junctions throughout the day and at the moment the relationship with the police is good, ie the police are laying down shields and batons in solidarity whilst protesters provide police with water etc. for how long this will last no one knows.this is a fear the people have.

it has just started again outside right below our balcony, numbers appear to be in hundreds, in an hour it will march off to another government building and meet up with the various other protesters at other locations and the numbers increase to the thousands. no exageration. from talking they give no sign of giving up and compare it to the "occupy" movements throughout the world. there is also real anger that this is not being reported to other countries in the news.
the chants of "mafia, mafia" are continueing and getting louder as i talk.. i intend to go down again, talk for a bit before going off and having a holiday dinner and leave them to continue their struggle.

theres also been mention of new taxes for people who want to work and are currently already paying out 85 percent - 100 percent of their current working wages on basic necessities. meanwhile, certain members of government continue the infrastructure rebuilding, but only around the areas in which they live.

 

[Garcia Lorca]

It appeared to go quiet over the weekend, probably with the government buildings being closed the protests where in smaller numbers in the actual city of sofia. From walking around the city, they have set up small 24 hour "occupy" areas, perhaps with half a dozen tents or so in 3 or 4 locations at parks and outside the very impressive Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Being a tourist i am unsure if perhaps larger gatherings happened elsewhere over the weekend. that being said, as i am getting ready to leave the hotel a few hundred gathered again below our balcony at one of the ministry of justices only minutes ago, it appeared to be a covert protest as there where no police presence until after 10 minutes when they sped in from all directions. the protest lasted until it looked like the police moved them and dispersed them peacefully, no doubt they will be off to meet up with the other protesters from throughout the city.

the numbers in the evening are quite impressive, its difficult to put exact figures on this, but they are in the several thousands (minimum), congregating and marching around the former communist headquarters blocking many of the main boulevards in the city centre. again, the ones i have spoken to and the workers in the hotel i am staying in are 100 percent behind the protesters and they show no sign of willingness to give up. to what gain? time will tell. Unfortunately i cannot understand a word that is being said on the bulgarian news channels, but the hotel receptionist has told me when we where watching a bit together that they are trying to discredit the protesters in any way they can, including a comical piece on the litter they leave behind in the clean city of sofia, the tv pictures showing empty plastic water bottles on the streets.

The poverty around the city is clear to see, I need to read more into the social situation in bulgaria and sofia. Although all the resteraunts i am eating in are full of the minority of bulgarians with money, there are many more as you wander just outside the main city centre, sitting on streets collecting what they can from bins (plastics, cardboard etc) to get what little they can for it. As you go down towards the railway station at night, there are many sitting around drinking and beggging for money from passers by. It breaks my heart as a tourist, going out nightly having lavish meals in a city where the people struggle so clearly.

ill raise a glass of rakia tonight as i eat for the ones who arent so priviledged in this beautiful city.

I have never seen a city so clean, nor despite the poverty felt so safe walking around at night, in fact i feel more unsafe walking around glasgow than i do in sofia.

One thing that has struck me is the amount of armed police, it looks as tho every police officer carries a fire arm, something i would never want to see in the UK and they are in large numbers in several locations where they gather there response vehicles due to the protests. I just hope that the good relationship with the police and the protesters continues or i wouldnt like to think how ugly it could turn out.

I am only here til tuesday when i return to the reality of life in the uk. been here several times before and I am in love with the city. its only around a one pound for 2 litres of zagorka or kamenitza lager from the 24 hour drinking shops, not being a big drinker this does not interest me, but the fact i can buy a cold tin for 50p on my way back to the hotel is absolutely fantastic have a lot of compassion with people from the city and the market traders that i have spoken too, such a friendly and beautiful but small city centre.

 

[Garcia Lorca]

final evening in sofia, the protest below the hotel at one of the ministry of justice's is the biggest ive seen thats just started. probably around 1000 people marching around the building with chants of mafia, mafia.. these are the smaller ones at various places that last perhaps 30 mins to 1 hour before they head off and meet up at the former communist headquarters (main government buildings) with the others from around the city, no sign of stopping and growing in size. news channels (bulgarian) are all over the street. the people seem very defiant and determined continuously and i think that after perhaps a weekend break by some that the numbers will increase vastly in size this evening. Impressive determenation being shown

 

[marty21]

Haven't seen any media coverage about this, which is strange

 

[Remus Harbank]

Haven't seen any media coverage about this, which is strange

the revolution will not be televised, yada yada yada

 

[treelover]

Massive protests in Sofia, shocking lack of media coverage

 

[Remzi]

Massive protests in Sofia, shocking lack of media coverage

In so many countries at once, the people show that for them capitalism is useless. Of course it is reported as little as possible. But street demos can do nothing alone, and no party suggests any alternative. That might be positive though, for the old politics has proved its futilty.

Maybe destruction of old ideas must come before construction of new one?

 

[Remzi]

Haven't seen any media coverage about this, which is strange

Not so strange.

 

[Greebo]

Not so strange.

<snip>Massive protests in Sofia, shocking lack of media coverage

It's in the interests of those currently in power to keep protestors thinking that they're isolated, and to also prevent people elsewhere from getting any ideas.

 

[Remzi]

It's in the interests of those currently in power to keep protestors thinking that they're isolated, and to also prevent people elsewhere from getting any ideas.

I don't think there have been such huge demos at the same time all over the world EVER before, but they tell us that we are more interested in Lim Gallagher's baby or the Royal baby...

 

[Greebo]

Unfortunately, that's what sells. Bread and circuses, except that these days they don't bother to provide the bread.

 

[Remzi]

Unfortunately, that's what sells. Bread and circuses, except that these days they don't bother to provide the bread.

Just the lions.

 

[Greebo]

Just the lions.

To whom they throw the wrong people.