Measures after Clashes between Roma People and Rowing Club Members

The police and the municipality in the South Bulgarian town of Assenovgrad took urgent measures to deal with the tensions in the town after the clashes between Roma people and members of the rowing club on 26^th of June, when rowers from the local club were attacked by Roma people while practicing at "40 Springs" lake. Two rowers aged 16 and 17 suffered injuries.

More than 2,000 people joined a protest outside the Town Hall in the town on 28^th of June with calls for ensuring their security.

A meeting was held with the Mayor of Asenovgrad municipality on 29^th of June attended by all the affected parties - parents of the injured contestants, citizens who participated in the protest, as well as experts from the municipal administration.

Yordan Todorov, the father of one of the injured children says his child has a broken arm and his daughter has anxiety. “ I just want to call for a reconsideration of the decision for municipal police in the town that was rejected by the town council," he said.

In response to the requests of the citizens, the Interior Ministry and the gendarmerie started massive checks in the Roma neighborhood in Assenovgrad. According to official data, more than 10,000 people live there. However, residents say in the recent years their number has increased many times.

Commissioner Mladen Marinov, the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior said that he had ordered checks as regards all persons who had no permanent address and they would be moved to where they were registered. “Such cases have a strong emotional charge that is not always rational, so we are here, the criminal responsibility will be applied in full to all, " he said.

The meeting revealed that 9 offenders had been detained for 72 hours.

An inventory of all the buildings in the neighborhood will begin and a procedure will be launched for removal of the illegal ones. The Mayor, Emil Karaivanov, promised to the people that he would make a proposal to the municipal council for holding a local referendum, so that the residents of Assenovgrad could decide whether to deploy Municipal Police.

On 26^th of June, rowers from “Asenovets” Sports Club were training at the lake when a boat with a girl overturned in the water. A group of Roma people, who were on the other bank, began to boo and throw stones at the other athletes. The young rowers complained to the coach. He called the police, but later the conflict escalated and moved in the centre of Assenovgrad where the Roma reportedly assaulted the young rowers, their coaches and parents.

Because of the incident, the two injured boys will not be able to participate in the Republican Rowing Championship on 29^th of June, their coach said. Members of the sports club admitted that they had similar problems previously, but managed to deal with them. After the clashes, two children were taken to the Assenovgrad hospital. A large crowd of angry residents of the Roma neighborhood besieged the health care facility, where the victims were being examined. To relieve the tension, special police officers and a fire fighting team arrived at the place of the incident.