“The events from the past weeks show that a number of Bulgarian students have their civic consciousness awakened. They have done this before, despite what government was in power. They have proven that they feel bad in this atmosphere of political passions and lack of morals.” This is how Professor Ivan Ilchev, rector of the oldest Bulgarian university, commented the protest actions of students, who call for the resignation of the cabinet of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski. The protest started on October 23 when students occupied one of the halls of the Sofia University. On Sunday they decided to stop the already full occupation of the central building of the university in order not to hamper studying. The headquarters of the protesters moved to the Aula Magna.

Professor Ilchev recalled that at an extraordinary meeting the Academic Council of the SU supported the students’ motives but disapproved of the way of protest. “Every day we talked with them and asked them to look for a different way of protest.” Professor Ilchev said also that there were even people who wanted the police to interfere and turn the university into a battle field. “We would never allow this to happen,” the professor firmly stated and added that one of the main aims was not to allow colleagues to divide according to political reasons. The rector also did not hide that outside forces also tried to get control of the protest. “Since the very beginning I was warning my students that unscrupulous politicians would try to use their protest in order to reach a next level in their career. Whenever there is a protest in Bulgaria, there is also a political force that wants to use it,” he told reporters.

© Photo: BТА

Asked to comment on the recent events as a historian, Professor Ilchev said that the protest had a positive effect as society saw that there are people in Bulgaria who cannot accept the ways of the political life in Bulgaria. He added that he has known the organizers of the protest for a long time and they have strong social and civic consciousness.

Alexander Nikolov who represents the students who oppose the occupation gave the rector a petition, containing nearly 700 signatures of students and lecturers who oppose the protest. The people who signed our petition want to know who is responsible about what is happening in the university, he said. Professor Ivan Ilchev said that he tried to answer all questions from students and lecturers who do not agree with the protest actions.

English version: Alexander Markov