[Bulgaria] Bulgaria’s Voyvodinovo saga: Karakachanov, ‘impudent gypsies’ and the voices of concern

On January 6^th Bulgarian paratrooper Corporal Valentin Dimov was assaulted after his car was blocked by two men in the village of Voyvodinovo, about two kilometres east of Bulgaria’s second city Plovdiv. The fact those men were of Roma ethnicity became the key driving force behind the protests that followed. The tensions were decreasing before the statement of the Bulgarian Defense Minister calling "gypsies in Bulgaria" "impudent". Several days ago, they beat up a policeman, a couple of days ago they beat up a soldier. This cannot go on and the tolerance of Bulgarian society has run out” according to the Sofia Globe.

His statement led to series of reactions condemning the statement, protests and petition for Ministers` resignation.