Notorious Bulgarian Nationalist Leader Demands Police to 'Cope with Roma Crime'

Volen Siderov, the notorious leader of the Bulgarian far-right Ataka (Attack) party, has called upon the Bulgarian police to deal with what he perceives as "Roma crime".

"Today, Bulgaria's society rises to protest against Roma crime," Siderov declared on Saturday, speaking before some 300 Ataka supporters in front of the Bulgarian National Bank in downtown Sofia.

"Bulgaria should be ruled by a nationalist President and a nationalist cabinet," Siderov, a presidential hopeful, stated.

In his speech, he once again attacked the bTV private channel, which he deems biased. Siderov already ruined a Thursday morning TV debate, dedicated to the issue of ethnic hatred.

The debate, aired live during the morning broadcast of the channel, included representatives of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, and the right-wing Blue Coalition.

Tensions in Bulgaria were sparked by the September 23 murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a minivan, driven, according to witnesses, by one of the relatives of notorious Roam boss from Katunitsa, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro. The murder led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village, where Tsar Kiro's mansions are located. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora.

From Monday to Thursday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 350 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred.

Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenue agency has confirmed. Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel Wednesday that Rashkov, AKA Tsar Kiro, has been arrested. On Friday the Regional Court in the town of Asenovgrad decided to keep Rashkov behind bars.