Pro and anti government protests in Bulgaria

(21 Jun 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sofia - 21 June 2022
1. Various of anti-government protest, organised by the pro-Russian opposition party Vazrazhdane, protesters with drums, waving Bulgarian flags and Vazrazhdane party flags
2. Leader of Vazrazhdane party, Kostadin Kostadinov, speaking into microphone UPSOUND (Bulgarian) "Drive the merchants out of the temple. Resignation!" protesters chant UPSOUND (Bulgarian) "Resignation"
3. Various of protester wearing t-shirt with photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reading (Russian) "I am Putin's friend"
4. Protester whistles, large banner in background reading (Bulgarian) "Resignation"
5. Police stand guard near pro-government supporters near Alexander Nevsky cathedral
6. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Kiril Petkov, Bulgarian Prime Minister:
"You are the reason why we feel that all our efforts are not in vain and we will all change Bulgaria together. I believe that no matter what tomorrow's vote will be, no one can stop us."
7. Pro-government supporter, Nadezhda Ivanova, holds Bulgarian flag
8. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Nadezhda Ivanova, pro-government protester
"We must not allow the 'bad guys' to take power again. We are for the good side and we are here to support the good people."
9. Wide of pro-government protesters, some holding EU and Bulgarian flags
10. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Kiril Petkov, Bulgarian Prime Minister:
"Sooner or later Bulgaria will be where it should be: a prosperous European (country), with working institutions, with a working judiciary, with good education, (and) good healthcare."
11. Wide of pro-government protesters
12. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Kiril Petkov, Bulgarian Prime Minister:
"Thank you for being together with us. Together."
13. Wide of crowd
14. Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Asen Vassilev, co-leader of "We Continue The Change" waves Bulgarian and EU flags in front of Alexander Nevsky cathedral UPSOUND (Bulgarian) "Victory"
STORYLINE:
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's centrist coalition is on the brink of collapse as it faces a no-confidence motion Wednesday, which looks set to topple a government that pledged to clean up endemic corruption in the Balkan nation.
Lawmakers debated the motion in the National Assembly on Tuesday and are set to vote on Wednesday.
On Tuesday evening, about a thousand pro-government protesters converged near the parliament building in Sofia, the capital, to express their dismay with chants of "we will succeed together."
Petkov, the 42-year-old Harvard-educated leader, who formed the four-party coalition last December with his We Continue The Change Party, attended the rally where he told supporters "we will all change Bulgaria together."
"I believe that no matter what tomorrow's vote will be, no one can stop us," he said. "Sooner or later Bulgaria will be where it should be: a prosperous European (country), with working institutions, with a working judiciary, with good education, (and) good healthcare."
Pro-government protester Nadezhda Ivanova told The Associated Press, "We must not allow the 'bad guys' take the power again."
"We are for the good side and we are here to support the good people," Ivanova, an engineer, said.
Several hundred anti-government protesters also gathered Tuesday evening near the parliament building, the vicinity of which had a noticeable increase in security personnel.
The move came after the populist coalition partner, There Is Such A People Party, quit the government last week over similar fiscal complaints and other disagreements.
He was released a day later without being charged.
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