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Bulgarian Activist on Hunger Strike Against State Monopoly

Categories: Eastern & Central Europe, Bulgaria, Citizen Media, Digital Activism, Economics & Business, Governance, Law, Protest

On Dec. 1, Chavdar Yanev set up a tent in front of the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council in Sofia and went on hunger strike to protest a judicial system that allows cases filed by individuals against state institutions to continue for years. Or even decades: Yanev and his wife, Latinka Georgieva, have been in a legal battle against Toplofikatsiya [1] [bg], a state monopoly that provides heating to the country's residents, for nearly 12 years [2] [bg].

A flashmob in solidarity with Yanev, organized via Facebook group “We are against high prices for electricity [3]” [bg] (more than 3,000 members), is scheduled for Dec. 4.

[4]

This poster, urging people to come to a flashmob to support Chavdar Yanev, has been shared by 2,060 Facebook users.

The event has many supporters in “Saprotiva” [5]” (“Resistance”) Facebook group, which has over 12,000 members. A newer Facebook group – “Support Chavdar Yanev in his civil disobedience [6]” [bg] has more than 400 members now.