In Sofia, dozens of protesters blocked traffic on the main boulevards
Thousands of Bulgarians blocked highways and border guards between Bulgaria and Turkey and Bulgaria and Greece on Sunday to protest rising fuel prices amid widespread dissatisfaction with the low-income country in Europe. .
Protesters blocked major highways across the country for hours before being dispersed by police. Protesters also blocked the Maritsa highway leading to the Kapitan Andreevo and Lesovo border crossings, on the border with Turkey, as well as access to the Koulata border crossing with Greece.
About 2.000 police officers were deployed to maintain order. For the second day today, rallies were held in major cities of the country, while new rallies are scheduled for tomorrow. In Sofia, dozens of protesters blocked traffic on the main boulevards, shouting "Mafia" and "Resignation".
Weekend protests against rising fuel prices and planned tax increases on old vehicles have been going on for three weeks, but have escalated with protesters now denouncing the low standard of living in Bulgaria, where purchasing power has barely reaching half of the European Union average.