Thousands of people gathered in central Sofia on Thursday evening for a protest calling for fair and free elections. The rally was announced a day earlier by the leader of “We Continue the Change,” Asen Vassilev, and took place in the area around the Triangle of Power.

From the very start of the protest, speakers emphasized that the central demand was the guarantee of honest and transparent elections. From the stage, it was stated that “Bulgaria as a rule-of-law state must be a common cause.” The dominant messages on posters echoed this call, with slogans demanding fair and free elections significantly outnumbering placards targeting Delyan Peevski. Among the more eye-catching visuals was a Santa Claus figure carrying a sign reading “The notary took my dwarves,” which many protesters photographed.

The façade of the National Assembly was illuminated with a series of protest messages, including “Don’t feed the pig,” “The mafia is out,” “The Big D should fear you,” “Sarafov out,” and “Slavchev out.” During the rally, protesters also introduced a new chant-anthem aimed at Peevski, vowing unity until his removal and imprisonment.

Calls for electoral reform featured prominently. Representatives of “Youth for Change” demanded the restoration of machine voting in its previous form, insisting that voting machines should not function merely as printers. Velislav Velichkov from the “Justice for Everyone” civic initiative called for the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, amendments to the Electoral Code, and the introduction of 100 percent machine voting. Addressing the crowd, he questioned whether Peevski and Boyko Borissov had withdrawn from influencing the judiciary, prompting chants of “Yes!” from demonstrators.

A number of political figures from the WCC-DB coalition attended the protest, including Assen Vassilev, Ivaylo Mirchev, Bozhidar Bozanov, and former prime minister Nikolay Denkov. The leader of “Spasi Sofia,” Boris Bonev, was also seen among the participants. Bozhidar Bozanov, co-chair of “Yes, Bulgaria,” told the crowd that the ruling majority had voted earlier in the day to remove Peevski’s state security detail out of fear of public pressure. According to him, the authorities fear fair elections most of all, which is why the coalition will continue to insist on machine voting to limit electoral manipulation.

Asen Vassilev said that reclaiming the state for citizens would be a long process, passing inevitably through free elections. He urged people to register as election observers and warned that, despite the government’s resignation, the struggle was not over. According to him, pressure would continue until election dates are officially set. Vassilev thanked the crowd, stating that public mobilization had already prevented the adoption of what he described as a “thieving” 2026 budget and pledged that Peevski’s security would be withdrawn before the current parliament dissolves.

Among the protesters were citizens expressing broader concerns about governance. A participant named Simeon said he was demonstrating against what he described as a corrupt political model dating back to September 9, 1944. Carrying a European flag, he stressed that the protest was pro-European and warned President Rumen Radev against attempting to capitalize politically on the movement without taking clear pro-European positions. Political science student Andrey Dimitrov noted that while the government had resigned, the battle was far from over, emphasizing unity across political differences in pursuit of fair elections and a future in Bulgaria.

The protest concluded with the singing of the national anthem. Earlier in the day, “We Continue the Change” outlined its formal demands: halting further attempts to pass the 2026 budget, amendments to the Electoral Code with full machine voting, removal of Delyan Peevski’s security detail, and the replacement of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov.

The demonstration coincided with a separate protest organized by “Justice for Everyone” in front of the Sofia Courthouse, also calling for Sarafov’s resignation. Later, participants from that rally joined the crowd in the Triangle of Power. Earlier in the evening, activists from BOEC blocked the entrance to Sarafov’s office at the courthouse.

Ahead of the protests, Sofia police director Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov said that around 20 checkpoints had been set up to screen individuals suspected of planning provocations. The rallies took place roughly a week after the resignation of the Zhelyazkov cabinet and were mirrored by similar protests in other major cities. Organizers reiterated that the latest wave of demonstrations was triggered by renewed attempts by the resigned government to push the 2026 draft budget through parliament, despite earlier withdrawals.