Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin has stated that police “should be thanked” for preventing mass fights during Tuesday’s blockade of Parliament in Sofia.

Tuesday marked the 40th straight day of mass anti-graft protests against the country’s embattled government – and for the first time, police clashed with demonstrators.

Vigenin claimed Wednesday that “oligarchic circles” have been standing behind the ongoing rallies.

He told bTV that “Bulgaria certainly does not look good” right now.

“This is not something unseen, we saw similar scenes in Greece and in Madrid. But it is not justified,” the Foreign Minister said.

“An extended hand should not have rocks and paving-stones in it,” he said.

Tuesday’s protest turned bloody at around 10 pm, when a bus carrying the ministers of finance, labor and economy, as well as an undisclosed number of ruling MPs, attempted to leave Parliament under heavy guard.

Protesters forced the bus to retreat, and several of them were beaten and injured by riot police.

By 2 am Wednesday, protesters had reinforced a blockade with garbage cans, street signs and paving stones, blocking vehicles from leaving any of the exits from Parliament.

Officials eventually left the building at around 5 am Wednesday, according to local media.

Over 10 people were injured, the Bulgarian National Radio says. No serious injuries have been reported.

The series of rallies was triggered by the appointment of notorious media mogul Delyan Peevski as Chair of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) back on June 14, but the protesters were not appeased by the subsequent cancellation of the decision and went on to demand the resignation of the Socialist-led cabinet over ties with oligarchs.

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