Opposite the diminutive Bulgarian parliament building, beneath the dual shadows of the gleaming Radisson hotel and the neoclassical monument to Tsar Alexander II, a handful of scruffy tents flap in the breeze.
As dusk approaches, police officers wearily begin the daily ritual of erecting metal fencing around government buildings, dotted all the way down the Tsar's eponymously named boulevard, as the tones of drums and vuvuzelas combined with the clamour of Ostavka["resign!"] strike up in the distance.
What begun in February as a spontaneous outpouring of scorn by Bulgarians of all ages following a dramatic hike in energy bills led to the resignation of the centre-right GERB party. It has since mushroomed into a daily demand for increased transparency and accountability in public life.
Oresharski's new government almost immediately blew much of its perceived credibility on June 14, following the appointment of Delyan Peevski, a controversial media baron, to head the national security agency.
Read more: Bulgarians allege government-mafia ties - Features - Al Jazeera English
As dusk approaches, police officers wearily begin the daily ritual of erecting metal fencing around government buildings, dotted all the way down the Tsar's eponymously named boulevard, as the tones of drums and vuvuzelas combined with the clamour of Ostavka["resign!"] strike up in the distance.
What begun in February as a spontaneous outpouring of scorn by Bulgarians of all ages following a dramatic hike in energy bills led to the resignation of the centre-right GERB party. It has since mushroomed into a daily demand for increased transparency and accountability in public life.
Oresharski's new government almost immediately blew much of its perceived credibility on June 14, following the appointment of Delyan Peevski, a controversial media baron, to head the national security agency.
Despite Peevski's speedy resignation, the crowd had already mobilised, registering frustration at the political chicanery of all parties, spawning demonstrations that have been remarkable for their longevity.
Atanas, currently unemployed but desperately seeking a job, took a few moments away from softly playing the national anthem on the piano placed by activists beneath the Tsar statue to echo sentiments widely held by the crowd: "We are against all those who ever ruled Bulgaria. We want our government to be ruled by regular people like us, not these parties or oligarchs and mafia."
Read more: Bulgarians allege government-mafia ties - Features - Al Jazeera English
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