The executives of the political party “Ataka”, through their leader Volen Siderov, criticized with a declaration the actions of Italian hooligans. They set the Bulgarian flag on fire during the football match for the World Cup qualifications on the National stadium “Vasil Levski”.

These are the contents of the wide-spread declaration:

Because of the burning of a Bulgarian flag by Italian football fans during the game between the teams of Bulgaria and Italy on October 11th 2008 at the National stadium “V. Levski”, political party ATAKA declares that it decisively condemns such rude and unprecedented violation of one of the main symbols of the state.

Political party ATAKA expresses it’s outrage at the fact that the Bulgarian policemen, present at the game as security, did not arrest the responsible Italian hooligans, but attacked and beat up the Bulgarian fans, who tried to confront the Italians for their actions.

The political group of ATAKA will address the issue of the Bulgarian flag set on fire in the National assembly, and will ask the minister of internal affairs Mihail Mihov and the minister of foreign affairs Ivailo Kalfin if any measures will be taken about this scandallous event.

Political party ATAKA notes the timely reaction of the Italian defence minister Ignacio La Rusa, who asked Bulgaria for forgiveness for the actions of the Italian fans. This isn’t the first occasion of violations of sacred Bulgarian symbols like the flag, the coat of arms or the national hymn.

Political party ATAKA wishes to remind the case of the flag, torn by gypsies in the village Boyadjik, in the region of Yambol; the national coat of arms being used on french pornographic movie; the national anthem being used as background for a fascist movie. Political party ATAKA is confident that such violations of sacred national symbols will get more frequent if the responsible national institutions don’t take timely and adequate measures.

Political party ATAKA also wishes to remind that in 2007 members of the political group of ATAKA proposed in the National assembly a new paragraph in the Penal codex that sentences any offender of the Bulgarian flag, coat of arms or hymn to 2 years in prison, or a 3000 leva fine.