Over thousand protesters gathered on Tuesday (Jan. 12) outside the National Assembly in Bulgaria’s capital city, demanding that mandatory face masks and green vaccination status passes be abolished.
Scuffles between law enforcement and protesters occurred as the crowd tried to breach the parliament building, but a heavy police presence on the outside with locks and barricades set up by security inside prevented protesters from entering the building.
The breach attempt reportedly prompted minor scuffles inside the building. An Vazrazhdane party MP allegedly tried to remove the barricades and locks, arguing that the crowd was within its rights to enter the parliament.
The protest was organized by the Vazrazhdane (Revival) Party, a nationalist group which holds 13 seats in Parliament, whose members left the plenary hall during the sitting to join the protest.
Bulgaria today, anti-mandate protestors vs the police.
— Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) January 12, 2022
Hello to the new normal.pic.twitter.com/UYyR9Sqfvq
Bulgaria 🇧🇬 Anti Everything 🔥 From the View from inside, it looks like parliamentarians were scrambling for their lives 👇👊 pic.twitter.com/QvKdN7QFXk
— 𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙇𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙀 (@risemelbourne) January 12, 2022
Bulgaria 🇧🇬
— The Juggernaut (@TheJuggernaut88) January 12, 2022
Bulgarians trying to storm the parliament pic.twitter.com/TEXp4tZ3O0
Vive la Bulgarie !
— Max lemire (@Maxoulemire) January 12, 2022
Thank You! Merci !#Bulgaria #Sofialegit #Bulgarie pic.twitter.com/8TVZem6rlY
BULGARIA 🇧🇬
— Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil (@ivan_8848) January 12, 2022
Protest against the green certificate in Sofia
"Hands off our children"
"I want a normal life"#COVID19 #coronavirus #Bulgaria pic.twitter.com/gZOeV9Sk3M
12/01/2022
— ZNeveri (@ZNeveri) January 12, 2022
Bulgaria:
Covid pass protesters attempt to breach parliament pic.twitter.com/UAKAd0fQga