Racism in Sofia

Racism and xenophobia are becoming more visible in Sofia streets. The 3^rd of November three nationalist parties, Ataka, VMRO-BND and National Resistance, organized a march in the center of the city against foreigners and “immigrant terror”. The request was the expulsion of refugees from Bulgaria, shouting slogans like “we have to sweep the streets”, “Bulgaria for Bulgarians” or “we have to impose order”. The leader of VMRO, Pearl Milanov, is currently being investigated for inciting racial hatred. The excuse used to promote this racist demonstration was an attack of one 20 years old woman the 2^nd of November. According to the local newspaper Dnevnik, the girl was injured with a knife by a 20 years old guy from Algeria who entered in the shop she was working in and stole 300 levas. Refugees living in the Voenna Rampa center have denounced the aggression, expressing solidarity with the victim and her family. Meanwhile, in the surroundings of this same camp, a 17 years old Syrian refugee has been attacked with a knife in the evening of the 5^th of November. As it has been published by Novinite, the man was attacked on his way back to the shelter by two people who spoke Bulgarian.  

This hate against immigrants and refugees is nowadays a huge issue in different European countries. Far right parties are gaining ground in most of the states, and immigrants are being massively and unfairly used as the scapegoat of the economic crisis.