Bulgaria bans annual neo-Nazi march in honor of WWII general

By AP 25 February 2023, 8:49 pm

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Members of nationalist organizations parade with torches during a march to commemorate Bulgarian general and politician Hristo Lukov, in the center of Sofia, on February 16, 2019. (Dimitar DILKOFF/AFP)

Authorities in Bulgaria ban an annual torch-lit march in downtown Sofia in honor of a late general who led the pro-Nazi Union of Bulgarian National Legions during World War II.

The event has been condemned by human rights groups, political parties and foreign embassies, which criticized the march organizers for promoting racism, xenophobia and antisemitism.

Nationalists gather in front of the prosecutor’s office to protest the restrictive measures. Meanwhile, dozens of anti-fascist activists stage a rally against the nationalist event, insisting that neo-Nazis should be banned.

A heavy police presence blocks any clashes between the two sides. Police also block the streets around the site where Lukov had lived in Sofia to prevent the nationalists from holding a ceremony in memory of Lukov, which in past years was the high point of the event.