Protests strengthening in Bulgaria

Deutsche Welle, 26 July 2013

Thousands of protesters are gathering daily at the parliamentary building in Sofia. Bulgarians angry about corruption are demanding that the current government resign - and the movement appears to be gaining momentum.

"Bulgaria is a victim of mafia government" reads the sign in the hands of a tall, white-haired, middle-aged man. Pravdolub Ivanov comes to protest in front of the government building in Sofia with a new slogan every night. His messages are witty and topical, so people are often snapping photos of him with their cameras and smartphones. When protesters were accused of being paid, he wrote on his white poster: "I am not paid. I hate you for free."

"Protesting takes me a few hours daily and I have to reorganize my time, my work suffers, my family too. I have two small kids and all that goes to my wife," explained Pravdolub, who's been participating in the anti-government protests in Bulgaria that have been going on for nearly a month and a half now.

Thousands of people gather at the parliament building every night to demand resignation of Plamen Oresharski's government, which is backed by the former communist party BSP, the party of the Muslim minority known as DPS, and the nationalistic and anti-European "Attack" party.

"I have to be here because we need to tear our country free of the hands of the mafia," added Ivanov, who works as a painter when he is not protesting. The protest movement began on June 14 this summer when parliament approved the controversial appointment of 33-year-old media tycoon, magistrate, businessman and politician Delyan Peevski as head of the powerful national security agency. A week later, Peevski's appointment was annulled under pressure - but the protests went on, becoming stronger.

Bulgarian citizens have been the next to rise up against their government,
after recent movements in Turkey and Brazil

Bulgaria ruled by 'mafia'

Tihomira Metodieva, a young accountant and a hobby photographer, said the government "went too far with the appointment of dirty people. It is not normal for criminals to rule the country," she said.

Metodieva comes every night for the rally, and some hours later comes to "drink coffee" in front of the parliament, as the protesters call their morning demonstration. "When I have to exchange some documents with my clients or sign bank papers, I ask them to come here," Metodieva said. Unlike Ivanov, she has found a way to combine work and protest.

"Mafia" is the word you hear and read most often from the protesters. No party signs or party leaders are visible, only the national flag. A recent survey by the Open Society Institute in Sofia indicated that a record-high 72 percent of Bulgarians see the situation in the country as "unbearable," while almost two-thirds support the protests. The insurgence has no leaders or political party, but is gaining popular support regardless.

Politicians are being accused of serving the mafia, and putting all public resources into the hands of oligarchs and monopolies.

Ognian Yanakiev, a mechanic who has come to protest together with his partner Angelina and their 13-month-old son Yassen, explained the problem from a personal perspective. "I am trying to open a small business, and for the last three months I've been fighting with the monopoly electricity supplier. It's been a dead-end," Yanakiev said. "I want to work, not waste my time on bureaucracy. Something has to change!" he almost shouted.

People at the square provide different answers to the question, "What's next?" But they are perfectly clear about what they want now: "I want them to resign, nothing more. We all demand resignation," answered Metodieva.

On Wednesday (24.07.13), protesters blockaded exit of more than
100 people from parliament for about eight hours

Small group of provocateurs

Victor Dimchev is a 35-year-old television producer and member of a Facebook group whose name plays off the abbreviation for the Bulgarian security agency. "I came here because I see the government leading Bulgaria to ruin," he said. The group supports organization of the protests, coordinates events and monitors for provocations.

On Wednesday (24.07.13) night, the crowd was unable to isolate a small group who started dislodging cobblestones from the street. The police declared the protests no longer peaceful, and a number of people were beaten as security forces tried to evacuate parliamentarians and ministers from the besieged national assembly building.

"I was there, I saw women beaten, I saw people bleeding, I saw flying stones and unimpressed policemen just watching the provocateurs," recalled Victor Dimchev. "I saw angry policemen, but I saw crying policemen too - crying while beating protesters," he added. On the following day, twice as many protesters showed up, and the crowd was more enthusiastic than ever.

Political 'endgame'

Dimiter Dimitrov, a professor of political science at the University of Sofia, said the government is in an endgame. "It's impossible for parliamentary sessions to always end before sunset, and for the parliamentarians to be evacuated by bus every night. It's surreal," he pointed out.

Now, 42 days into the protests, "the fatigue is enormous, I sleep for only three hours a day. But I am not giving up, they have to give up," Metodieva said.

As the sun goes down on the 42nd night of unrest in Sofia, Dimchev shakes the hands of newcomers, almost one every minute. It turns out that those people are his guests: "I asked all my friends to come to the square, and this is the best present I could dream of: I am turning 35 today."

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“…  Government

Let us speak of government. We're not speaking of your government, but of any government - the way it works, how it survives, how it has survived, the way it campaigns, and how it elects leaders. It's going to change.

Years ago, I told you, "When everybody can talk to everybody, there can be no secrets." Up to this point on this planet, government has counted on one thing - that the people can't easily talk to each other on a global scale. They have to get their information through government or official channels. Even mass media isn't always free enough, for it reports that which the government reports. Even a free society tends to bias itself according to the bias of the times. However, when you can have Human Beings talking to each other all at once, all over the planet without government control, it all changes, for there is open revelation of truth.

Democracy itself will change and you're going to see it soon. The hold-outs, the few countries I have mentioned in the past, are doomed unless they recalibrate. They're doomed to be the same as they have been and won't be able to exist as they are now with everyone changing around them.

I mentioned North Korea in the past. Give it time. Right now, the young man is under the control of his father's advisors. But when they're gone, you will see something different, should he survive. Don't judge him yet, for he is being controlled.

In government, if you're entire voting base has the ability to talk to itself without restriction and comes up with opinions by itself without restriction, it behooves a politician to be aware and listen to them. This will change what politicians will do. It will change the way things work in government. Don't be surprised when some day a whole nation can vote all at once in a very unusual way. Gone will be the old systems where you used to count on horseback riders to report in from faraway places. Some of you know what I am talking about. Government will change. The systems around you, both dark and light, will change. You're going to start seeing something else, too, so let's change the subject and turn the page. …”