Municipal crews worked through the night to clear the center of Sofia after the violent unrest that erupted late in the evening following the budget protest. Burned containers, smashed signage and scattered debris were still visible early in the morning, while the GERB office on Dondukov Boulevard remained completely wrecked and ransacked. Police vehicles were stationed along parts of Vasil Levski and Dondukov, where public transport has since resumed. Trams are again running on Dondukov, and trolleybuses have been restored on Vasil Levski.

Further reading: Paid Provocateurs Disrupt Peaceful Sofia Protest in Staged Confrontation with Police (VIDEO)

Authorities have restricted access only in the area between the Vasil Levski monument and the Sofia High School of Mathematics, as well as part of Dondukov for incoming cars. Only residents are allowed through while municipal cleaning vehicles continue sweeping the boulevard. According to the police, once all debris is removed, traffic will fully reopen. Dark scorch marks from the burned bins still cover sections of the asphalt.

The unrest ignited shortly after 10 p.m., when a group of paid provocateurs (allegedly by Peevski himself) moved toward the headquarters of DPS-New Beginning. The first clashes with police occurred there as youths threw stones, bottles and fireworks, and set waste containers on fire. One police bus was also damaged. The violence continued until midnight.

The Sofia Inspectorate has launched a full assessment of the destruction. Its director, Nikolay Nedelkov, explained that overnight rubbish collection had been halted due to the situation, and once officers allowed, crews first removed the containers from the tram tracks and cleared the waste scattered over the bicycle lanes. Mechanized cleaning of the roads began around 5:30 a.m. Damages include destroyed infrastructure, burned containers, vandalized urban environment and even harm to the tram network. Twelve separate recycling containers were confirmed burned. Today officials are expected to calculate the overall cost.

Nedelkov added that cameras throughout the center will be reviewed as part of the investigation. He noted that the protest had been authorized until 10 p.m., at which point peaceful participants dispersed, leaving behind the groups involved in the clashes. An inquiry is also underway into the power outage that affected parts of central Sofia during the height of the unrest. Some areas remained without electricity in the morning, with full restoration expected later in the day.

Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov stated that early findings indicate possible deliberate interference. Smoke was detected in an underground collector and fifteen medium-voltage lines shut down simultaneously. An inspection is ongoing, involving the Ministry of Defense, emergency teams and the Interior Ministry, all tasked with securing the site and ensuring safe conditions for the technicians working to restore supply through an alternative route.