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In the last week of August, at night around 8 pm, citizens gathered in front of the Romanian embassy and said they were protecting the crossroads from protesters. This is the case every night after the incident with the woman in the car and children (on August 17). Then, after it became clear that there was an organized protest against the blockades on Sitnyakovo Blvd., the participants in the marches for the resignation of the government and the attorney general refused to come to this place and block it for several hours to avoid tensions . Since then, the counter-protest has come there at night.
MMA fighter led the protest against protesters
Unlike the other (who is careful to name leaders, but has different organizers), he also has a leader, who was elected a few days ago in a constituent assembly according to the stories of the participants. This is Stanislav Nedkov-Staki (see in the video, a conversation with him). He is better known as the president of the sports federation of MMA (mixed martial arts, since 2014) and he owns companies where, in his words, “a lot of people make a living” without giving details. Nedkov’s previous contact with politics is his wife Yuliana Doncheva (the two were married in 2010) – she is a former NMSS deputy (2001-2005), and later is among those who parted ways with the party in formation ” New Time “. . Doncheva is his vice president and in 2011 was his candidate for mayor of Veliko Tarnovo.
According to the chronology, Nedkov reacted with an angry post against the blocks on his personal Facebook profile (he also has a fan page) on August 21, in which he asked “the state to take action in a few days and calm these savages. Otherwise, I will organize a movement. ” , which will restore order in our capital and guarantee the peace of the Bulgarian citizens. “He previously posted about Sitnyakovo and the protests, which show that he does not support Borissov’s resignation (but believes that the government needs a change and representatives of the partner of the coalition, the Patriots, should be out), does not support and protest about their organizers and people associated with the demonstrations (the “smart and beautiful”, the “Sorosoids”, the supporters of the Istanbul Convention). Their positions on protests alternate between states for religious holidays, Nedkov also notes that he has “promised not to participate in politics unless I am forced to.”
Two weeks later, he presented himself as the leader of the counter-protest and declared himself against the blockades, throwing food (part of the protests against the institutions), against the desecration of the shield and the flag, violence against women (examples of this are the women with children who tried to get out of the blockade and which is used by the propaganda of the media and anti-protest groups). Nedkov still denies that this becomes a political project. Every night the counter-protest is concentrated in the National Palace of Culture, where it collects signatures against the blockades. They already had an action in front of the Palace of Justice.
Neighbors of “Sitnyakovo”
Dnevnik met with Nedkov and the counter-protesters on the night of August 27 in front of the Romanian embassy (see the main part of the conversation on the video).
“We are not fighting, we want a free and clean Sofia,” said Lachezar Rusinov, who ran as one of the silent majority of non-voters in Bulgaria. He stands close to the leader Nedkov and sometimes interrupts him while speaking. “We are the ones who are outside the classification, the people who do not vote, who are disgusted with the system,” he said. When asked if he will not vote in the next election, he replied that it has not been decided yet, he will familiarize himself with the programs and what kind of people are behind them.
He is in his 70s, lives near the “disputed” crossroads, and says he is determined to stay calm in the neighborhood. “I don’t care what they do downtown. I am interested in being calm here. I don’t want vuvuzelas under my windows and shouting from megaphones to scare my grandchildren. That is why I am here and if they come, I will resist, ”warned Rusinov.
© Julia Lazarova
Following the incident with the woman who tried to cross the protesters, the intersection in front of the Romanian embassy was not the target of the protesters. However, the “counter-protest” is here at night and the people who come meet and talk to each other. Around twenty people gathered at 8.30 pm, most of them adults, but also some teenagers. They say that his other supporters at the time were still in the towers in front of the National Palace of Culture, but they would come later.
Will it be a political project or not
Nedkov explained to Dnevnik that his association, which will probably be called “Free Sofia” (among the names discussed was “Antidote” as opposed to “Poison Trio”), has no political objectives and will not stand for election. A little later an old man arrives wearing a protective helmet against the coronavirus. He quickly joined the conversation and told Nedkov that the association could develop a “political project to participate in the elections.” There is slight confusion, but apparently the counter-protest also unites people with different views on the future.
However, on the issue of corruption, everyone agrees: yes, there is, but where not. “The biggest corruption is in Japan, and nothing prevents it. There are prosecutors to deal with corruption,” Rusinov said. And others around him nod their heads: there is corruption everywhere, in every country, and it is an inevitable evil.
Counter-protesters believe that Delyan Peevski is being deliberately demonized. The man in the helmet claims that he had never seen him do anything before: “Peevski is a ghost you scare us with”.
The leader of the counter-protest, Nedkov, confirmed, noting that Peevski’s role in the media was no longer as serious. “Looking at how the protests are affected,” he said, in the sense that there was no real disregard for the issue.
Many of the positions coincide with those of the government and the official media.
One vote for Hristo Ivanov, yes …
Rusinov returns to the issue of electoral programs and points to the humiliatingly low pensions of the elderly. “We need support programs for companies so that there is income in the state and money for pensions,” he explains. Certainly, you would also find many like-minded people on this topic on Orlov Most.
It is also said that Hristo Ivanov voted, but if there was no new constitution in his program with the introduction of the genre in. Both gay marriages and the adoption of children by gay couples, Nedkov said. This shows that the footholds are clearly working, because neither Ivanov nor “democratic Bulgaria” have taken that position, and that the suggestions against the Istanbul Convention and what its objectives are are still remembered and used.
“If we don’t have these things, we can vote for him,” he said. Everyone in front of the embassy agrees with the shouts of approval, except for the police, who stand idly by, leaning against the embassy fence. They monitor the counter-protest, though none of the enemy camps on Eagle Bridge are present.
This protest is legal, we have notified the Municipality of Sofia and the Ministry of the Interior and we have permission to carry it out, unlike the others, “Nedkov told Orlov Most. From there, one more night, no one set out to block the crossing .
