The Bulgarian National union organizes on February 17th 2018 a “torchlight parade” in Sofia in honour of Bulgarian fascist Hristo Lukov.

Nazis, xenophobes and anti-Semite slogans are chanted during this neo-Nazi demonstration, called “march of Lukov” which is held since 2003.

The president of B’nai B’rith Europe, Serge Dahan, firmly condemns the “march of Lukov” of February 17th, a demonstration in the glory of the Nazi general Hristo Lukov, who took part in the repression of the Bulgarian Jewish community before and during the Second World War; Hristo Lukov was the chief of the Union of the Bulgarian National Legions.

In a context of anti-Semitism growing in Europe and the multiplications of anti-Jewish actions in Bulgaria, B’nai B’rith Europe asks political leaders and representatives of Bulgarian civil society to intensify their efforts to prevent the holding of this demonstration and to publicly denounce the organizers of the Walk of Lukov who promote hatred and rejection of the other.

The President of the B’nai B’rith Europe Lodge of Sofia, Rafael Chichek, also reported many anti-Semite demonstrations in Bulgaria which reminds the Nazi hate of the years 1930.

The Jewish community recalled in an official statement of B’nai B’rith of Sofia the “public and media appearances of Metodi Andreev and Ivo Hristov, civils servant of the ministry of Defense, who made the Nazi salute in front of the cameras; the profanation of the Jewish cemetery of Sofia, the profanation of the Alyosha monument in Plovdiv and the monument dedicated in memory of Jewish prisoners burned in the camp of Kaylaka in Pleven”.

The President of B’nai B’rith Europe points out that Bulgaria holds the EU’s six-month rotating presidency since January 2018 at the council of the European Union, request the Bulgarian Government to take appropriate measures against the authors of these anti-Semite demonstrations and expresses the wish to see the Bulgarian authorities denouncing the walk of Lukov as a manifestation of the ideology of hatred and historical revisionism.

During the two last years, the march was technically prohibited, but was authorized to continue nevertheless authorized to continue without intervention of the police.