On the night of 23–24 July there was violence in the protesting.
By the end of July 2013, anti-government protesters were still out in force protesting peacefully in Sofia with Reuters recording 24 July 2013 as the 41st straight day of peaceful protests.
The protesters were demanding the resignation of the Socialist-led government of Oresharski.
More than 100 lawmakers, ministers, and journalists spent the night barricaded inside Parliament before police removed them.
MPs attempted to leave Parliament by boarding a white coach bus and making their way through the crowd.
There was violence as the police tried to unsuccessfully clear the way for the bus, and after slowly making its way around the Aleksandar Nevski cathedral, the bus returned to the back exit of Parliament after about an hour around midnight.
Another police action at around 4 am forcefully cleared the remaining protesters, and the coach left, which led to further accusations of police violence in the ensuing days.
8 protesters and 2 policemen suffered injuries.
A survey covering the attitudes of Bulgarians showed that 65% felt that the actions of the protesters on that day were out of line, while 53% also disapproved of the police response.
79% agreed that the provocateurs involved in the violence need to have charges levelled against them.
Sociologists expressed mixed views in relation to the events.
Volen Siderov drew comparisons with the siege and storming of the National Parliament on 10 January 1997, characterizing the actions of the demonstrators as dangerous and as part of an orchestrated scenario aiming to create the impression of an ongoing popular revolution.
One policeman has been charged for unlawful conduct with regard to his actions during the events of 23–24 July and is currently on trial for disproportionate use of force against protesters.
On the night of 23–24 July there was violence in the protesting. By the end of July 2013, anti-government protesters were still out in force protesting peacefully in Sofia with Reuters recording 24 July 2013 as the 41st straight day of peaceful protests. The protesters were demanding the resignation of the Socialist-led government of Oresharski. More than 100 lawmakers, ministers, and journalists spent the night barricaded inside Parliament before police removed them. MPs attempted to leave Parliament by boarding a white coach bus and making their way through the crowd. There was violence as the police tried to unsuccessfully clear the way for the bus, and after slowly making its way around the Aleksandar Nevski cathedral, the bus returned to the back exit of Parliament after about an hour around midnight. Another police action at around 4 am forcefully cleared the remaining protesters, and the coach left, which led to further accusations of police violence in the ensuing days. 8 protesters and 2 policemen suffered injuries. A survey covering the attitudes of Bulgarians showed that 65% felt that the actions of the protesters on that day were out of line, while 53% also disapproved of the police response. 79% agreed that the provocateurs involved in the violence need to have charges levelled against them. Sociologists expressed mixed views in relation to the events. Volen Siderov drew comparisons with the siege and storming of the National Parliament on 10 January 1997, characterizing the actions of the demonstrators as dangerous and as part of an orchestrated scenario aiming to create the impression of an ongoing popular revolution. One policeman has been charged for unlawful conduct with regard to his actions during the events of 23–24 July and is currently on trial for disproportionate use of force against protesters.
2013–2014 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet