A large anti-government protest demanding the resignation of the cabinet is taking place in the center of Sofia, BGNES reports.

Thousands of citizens gathered in the center of Sofia. The demonstration is taking place on Nezavisimost Square and Knyaz Alexander I Battenberg Square.

They were greeted by the leader of the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria, Atanas Atanasov, with the words: "We are many, we are strong! We must take back our country!" He said that those in power are trampling on the rules of the state and have usurped the regulators.

"Today there was a debate on the vote of no confidence, tomorrow there must be a vote. Let those in power give Bulgaria and you a Christmas present and vote for the vote of no confidence tomorrow! Resign!" he said.

The protesters, who initially wanted changes to the 2026 budget, are now demanding the resignation of the cabinet.

The protest is taking place on the day of the debates on the sixth vote of no confidence. They lasted more than four hours. The vote itself will be held on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

The protest will not include a march, the parties of the "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) coalition announced earlier today.

There are heightened police security measures in the area of the protest. It has set up 19 checkpoints.

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov called for peaceful protests and respect for everyone's rights. He stressed that democracy requires us to listen to different opinions, even when we don't like them.

Protests against the government in Bulgaria's major cities

Anti-government protests are taking place in a number of major cities across the country, according to a BGNES correspondent.

The protest in Plovdiv began in Saedinenie Square, where several thousand people gathered.

Huge tricolor flags are waving, vuvuzelas are blowing, and posters against the government are being raised.

The entire area around the square is cordoned off by police. At least 100 uniformed officers are within the perimeter of the protest. Rock music is playing, and the number of attendees is swelling by the second.

A protest march is expected to start from the square at 7:30 p.m. and head towards the Fair. Patrol cars are stationed along the entire route - on Shesti Septemvri Blvd. and Tsar Boris III the Unifier Blvd.

Two protests are merging in the square. One is organized by citizens, including Kaloyan Kalinin. The other is organized by "The Voice of the Voiceless."

"The common goal is the resignation of the government," Kalinin shouted. He added: "Today, Plovdiv will show that it will not sleep." This was followed by loud chants of "Resign."

There is also a protest against the government in our Black Sea capital, Varna. Here, too, citizens are demanding the resignation of the cabinet and early elections. The protesters are also against the budget.

The situation is peaceful and calm. There is a strong police presence. The Varna police said that people wearing masks and who cannot be recognized will not be allowed to participate in the protest.

Many citizens gathered this evening in front of the Regional Administration building in Stara Zagora, demanding the resignation of the government.

The protest was held at this location because the space in front of the municipal building is occupied by a culinary show and the event was moved. The situation is calm, with no tension at the moment. The protesters said they want to live in a normal country and insisted that the government resign immediately.

Hundreds of Blagoevgrad residents gathered this evening at Georgi Izmirliev Square, demanding the resignation of the government. The protest was organized by students from the city. They were joined by many residents of the city and the region.

BGNES reminds that on December 1, thousands of people protested in Sofia and other major cities, demanding the withdrawal of the draft budget. The demonstration in Sofia began peacefully but ended with acts of vandalism and demands for resignation. At the end of the protest, Kiril Petkov called on the crowd to march to the headquarters of the MRF-New Start (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) and GERB parties.

The first clashes began in front of the MRF-New Start headquarters. Young people threw stones and bottles at law enforcement officers and set fire to containers. They also destroyed a police bus. The riots continued until midnight. Shortly before midnight, the GERB office on Dondukov Boulevard was set on fire and looted.

During the protests, 71 people were arrested.

On Friday, the Minister of Finance prepared a new draft of the 2026 Budget, which meets most of the protesters' demands, including the abolition of the dividend tax and no increase in social security contributions. The budget was reviewed by the Tripartite Council and the Council of Ministers and was submitted for discussion in parliament.

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