GFP Note: Protests in Bulgaria have occurred for at least ten days in a row after the government announced it would appoint Delyan Peevski as head of the secret service. Peevski is suspected of many illegal activities and is thought to be well-connected in Bulgaria's underworld. See the four articles below for more information on Peevski, the protests, and how social media is bringing Bulgarians together with each other and the rest of the world.
Bulgarian protesters pelt lawmakers with tomatoes, eggs
Reuters.com - 6/26/13, By Angel Krasimirov
Protesters shout anti-government slogans in front of Maya Manolova (L), deputy of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, during a demonstration outside the parliament in Sofia June 26, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Stoyan Nenov
Bulgarian protesters pelted lawmakers with tomatoes and eggs and chanted "Mafia!" and "Resign!" on Wednesday in a sign of mounting frustration over the new Socialist-led government's refusal to quit over a security scandal.
Bulgarian television showed some protesters hurling food at a group of lawmakers entering the parliament building. A deputy from the ethnic Turkish MRF party, junior partner in the ruling coalition, was slapped with a newspaper and doused with water.
More: Reuters.com
Bulgarians protest government of 'oligarchs'
DW.de - 6/26/13
The protests flared up when the government announced it would appoint Delyan Peevski as head of the secret service. Many Bulgarians see 32-year-old Peevski as highly dubious and well-connected in Bulgaria's underworld.
Peevski and his mother, Irena Krasteva, who is the former head of the national lottery, own a television channel, several newspapers and the biggest newspaper printing press. Just where the money for these investments came from, is not clear.
More: DW.de
Ten days in, protestors in Bulgaria now target “the oligarchic system”
Euronews.com - 6/24/13, With AFP
The spark that triggered the daily demonstrations in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities was the nomination on June 14 of MP Delyan Peevski as the head of the National Security Agency (DANS), Bulgaria’s secret service. The 32-year-old media mogul, who has links to a powerful bank, has a controversial reputation and is suspected of illegal activities by many Bulgarians.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Orecharski, whose government was sworn in by the Bulgarian Parliament on May 29, is accused by the demonstrators of “serving the oligarchy.” On June 19, he acknowledged making a “political mistake” by nominating Peevski, although his act of contrition appeared not to calm the demonstrators, many of whom are still demanding his resignation.
More: Euronews.com
Will you #ДАНСwithme? How Bulgarian protesters are using social media
Euronews.com - 6/19/13
After five days of streets protests in Bulgaria, #ДАНСwithme has become the main hashtag – along with #Bulgaria, naturally – around which tweets, videos, blogposts and messages about the demonstrations have focused.
Protesters on the internet, are using both blogs and social media, to voice their anger and let the world know their feelings about the political situation in Bulgaria.
More: Euronews.com
