Workers from Bulmetal and residents of Gurkovo blocked the Shipka Pass road...
Wait — "Прохода на Републиката" is the Republic Pass, the road through the Balkan Mountains. Corrected output:Workers from Bulmetal and residents of Gurkovo blocked the Republic Pass road in support of the plant's owner, Kolyo Atanasov. They want justice and an end to police pressure on the businessman.
What happened before: Workers in Gurkovo block Republic Pass due to detained businessman
The first protest was yesterday, 5 November, outside the company's production site in the town. The road stayed blocked for about 30 minutes, and people asked where Atanasov was and what he was accused of.
Officers from the organised crime directorate (GDBOP) and the Sofia police directorate (SDVR) entered Bulmetal's production site in Gurkovo and Atanasov's home late on the evening of 4 November. He was detained, and on 5 November he was released.
Four people in all were held for up to 24 hours and taken to Sofia for questioning. All four were freed without charge, and prosecutors did not ask to hold them for 72 hours.
Police say the case is a pre-trial investigation into the unauthorised possession and use of special technical devices for covert surveillance. Officers are looking for trackers, devices used to follow people, which are suspected of having been used to monitor certain individuals. Who was watched has not been officially announced.
The computers, mobile phones and other equipment seized in the searches are yet to be examined.
Atanasov says there is a targeted campaign against him, meant to take his business or ruin it. He says the complaint was organised by Gurkovo's former mayor, Mariyan Tsonev, and his son, in revenge for Atanasov's own reports of crimes and vote buying. This is the businessman's position, not facts established by the investigation.
He also accuses interior minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. In his view, police are being used to put pressure on him for the benefit of local power circles.
The protesters fear for the company's work and for jobs. They call Atanasov one of the main employers in the region. They want the authorities to explain why police raided the plant and to guarantee that it will keep running normally.
Bulmetal is the biggest employer in Gurkovo municipality, with hundreds of workers. The firm makes metal packaging, and part of its output goes to international markets.