Sofia Roma Light Tires on Fire against Ethnic Protests

Society | September 30, 2011, Friday // 10:35
Bulgaria: Sofia Roma Light Tires on Fire against Ethnic Protests The Roma have declared they are not willing to revolt or participate in a "war". Photo by BGNES

Citizens of the Hristo Botev quarter, home of one of Bulgarian capital Sofia's largest Roma communities, have lighted tires on fire, fearing potential racist attacks.

The local Roma refuse to let their children attend school classes and many do not leave their houses, News.bg informs.

The Roma have declared they are not willing to revolt or participate in a "war". They have further stated they do not support notorious Roma mafia boss Kiril Rashkov aka Tsar Kiro, whose Roma clan sparked ethnic tensions across the country.

Nationalist leader Volen Siderov is trying to destabilize Bulgaria with his hate rhetoric, according to Hristo Botev's Roma.

The September 23 murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a minivan, which, according to witnesses, was driven by an associate of Rashkov, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa, where Rashkov's mansions are located. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football club fans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora.

The following several days saw protests in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 350 people in total have been arrested by the police after the three nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Many in Bulgaria suspect that Volen Siderov is behind these rallies.

Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenue agency has confirmed. Rashkov has been arrested.

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Tags: Roma, sofia, ethnic tensions, Kiril Rashkov, Tsar Kiro, protests

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