Bulgarian police officers are expected to hold a seven-hour protest on Thursday while the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee will be discussing the draft budget for next year.

This will be the first demonstration by policemen this week after they held large-scale protests across the country for most of last week.

The protests culminated in a mass demonstration in front of the building of parliament in Sofia on Sunday.

The protests started after the proposed cuts to the budget of the interior ministry, which were planned to affect the social benefits and remuneration of police officers.

At the end of last week, Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova vowed to withdraw the proposed changes and to retain all social benefits of policemen.

On Wednesday, Parliament's Internal Security and Public Order Committee approved the budget for next year, but it remained unclear which of the controversial proposals will be withdrawn between the two parliamentary readings.

The latest protest will be held as police officers are discontent with the fact that the government has not taken concrete steps to fulfill its commitments, private NOVA TV station informs.

The demonstration, which is expected to be supported by trade unions of firefighters and prison officers, will take place in front of the building of parliament, with protesters not planning to block traffic in Sofia.