Are the anti-Roma prejudices a main reason of anti-Romani protests in Bulgarian town Radnevo?

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Roma Virtual Network

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May 10, 2016, 12:49:38 PM5/10/16

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Anti-Romani unrest broke out last Wednesday in the southern Bulgarian town of Radnevo. Approximately 2 000 Bulgarians demonstrated for a fair investigation of a brawl on Monday between three ethnic Bulgarians and four men from a local Romani family that resulted in serious injuries.

During Wednesday's violent clashes three police officers and four demonstrators were injured, according to the Bulgarian Interior Ministry. The violence broke out in the town of 13 000 after the crowd began to shout various anti-Romani slogans as well as "Bulgaria for Bulgarians", "Bulgarian heroes", "Bulgaria above all" as they marched toward the town's Romani quarter, which was defended by riot police according to the Bulgarian media.

Some protesters attempted to break through the barricades and threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at police. According to the Mayor of Radnevo, Tenyo Teneva, the people who attempted to break through the barricades were football hooligans from the nearby town of Stara Zagora.