Protesters Block Parliament, Scuffle with Police

 Hundreds of protesters against the government blocked the exits of the National Assembly Tuesday night, trapping inside some one hundred people, including MPs, ministers, representatives of the trade unions and journalists until the early hours of Wednesday morning.

An attempt by the police to get a group of MPs and ministers out of the parliament building with a bus at about 10.00 p.m. failed, leaving about a dozen people, including policemen, injured.

Thousands of people have been rallying in Sofia for 40 days, accusing the government of serving oligarchic interests and demanding that it step down.

Speaking to a bTV reporter from Parliament, MPs of the opposition centre-right GERB reiterated its calls for snap elections.

Earlier on Tuesday, the European Union's justice commissioner, Viviane Reding, said she sympathized with the protesters and called on the government to reform the judiciary.

Parliament will remain closed on Wednesday.