Volen Siderov, leader of Bulgaria's far-right nationalist Ataka party, staged a new spectacle late Sunday evening, just minutes after the end of the national anti-government protest rally in the capital Sofia.

As the nearly 20 000 people, who attended the rally sparked by the outrageous decision of the government to appoint controversial media mogul and MP Delyan Peevski as Chair of the State Agency for National Security (DANS), were beginning to disperse around midnight, Siderov demonstratively attacked and insulted journalists, protesters, and policemen.

Accompanied by Ataka Members of the Parliament and a group of followers, he shouted insults at the TV crew of Canal 3, calling them provocateurs.

The incident happened after the demonstrators decided to protest in front of the buildings of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, the liberal ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, and of Ataka, where the tensions escalated as they were met by about 100 young men in black clothes, ready to defend their leader.

Siderov accused the TV crew of inciting the demonstrators to come to the party headquarters and of following political orders, while the young men surrounded the reporter and tried to take away the cameramen in order to prevent him from filming the ugly scene.

Minutes later, the nationalist group, led by their chief, walked to the square in front of the Parliament and proceeded to attack and insult another TV crew, threatening to overturn their minivan parked nearby.

They then started an altercation with the remaining demonstrators, while Siderov broke through the police-mounted metal fences and demanded answers from the policemen why they failed to arrest the "hooligans," who attacked him and his people at the party headquarters.

Some of the demonstrators attempted to calm him down, talk to him, and ask him why he was trying to stir trouble at the peaceful rally, but he kept shouting that no one has the right to affront him and his supporters.

No other incidents were reported at the rally.

Meanwhile, Bulgarians on Facebook announced that a protest is planned for Monday evening as well, despite the fact that as early as Saturday, Peevski said he will withdraw from the post. The demonstrators, however, now demand the resignation of the government.

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