The outbreak of Anti-Roma protests in Bulgaria started during the night of 23rd to 24th September 2011 in the village Katunitsa and later spread to other locations all over the country, including Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Pleven, Ruse, Pazardzhik, Stara Zagora and others. The riots in Katunitsa led to burning of two cars and four houses, owned by different members of the family of the alleged Roma crime boss Kiril Rashkov, also known as "Tsar Kiro".[1] [2]
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The protests started following a vehicular homicide of the 19 years old Angel Petrov, which was allegedly committed by 55 years old Simeon Yosifov, who is believed to be a close associate of Kiril Rashkov. [3] The death of Angel Petrov was preceded by death threats involving a "car accident", which were published in the Bulgarian video-sharing website "vbox7", by user "maybach_62s". It is believed by the residents of Katunitsa that it is the nickname used by Jorgo Rashkov — one of the grandsons of Kiril Rashkov.[4]
Protests continued on October 1 in Sofia, with 2000 Bulgarians marching against the Roma and what they viewed to be the "impunity and the corruption" of the political elite in the country.[5]
Volen Siderov, leader of the far-right National Union Attack party and presidential candidate, spoke to a crowd at the Presidential Palace in Sofia, calling for the death penalty to be reinstated, as well as Roma ghettos to be dismantled.[5]
According to the BBC, President Georgy Parvanov called on the protesters for "an end to the language of hatred".[5] Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov called a meeting of the national security council to address the issue.
These protests come before presidential elections on October 23.