Huge crowds took to the streets of the capital Sofia and other major cities on Monday night to protest against the governing coalition of centre-right populists GERB, the pro-Russia Bulgarian Socialist Party and nationalist party There’s Such a People, backed by tycoon Delyan Peevski’s New Beginning.
The protests were some of the biggest for years, possibly since the 1990s, participants claimed. Sofia mayor Vassil Terziev described the demonstration in the capital as “the most well-attended in the last decade”.
Young people who have been organising themselves via TikTok and Instagram were a major presence. Some held placards with slogans like “Gen Z is coming for U” and “Give us a reason to stay” – a reference to emigration.