February 24, 2023 — New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC) expressed deep concern regarding renewed attempts to hold the far-right Lukov March in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on February 25.
The rally, first held in 2003, gathers far-right supporters, ultra-nationalists, and neo-Nazi groups from within Bulgaria and other countries in honor of Bulgarian Second World War general Hristo Lukov, known for his Nazi affiliations and introduction of antisemitic laws.
The display of hateful speech represented by the Lukov March enjoys no legal protection in EU countries and has no place in Bulgaria – a democratic country, which has a proud record of saving 50,000 Jews in World War II and values intergroup harmony.
AJC praised the dedicated efforts of Sofia Mayor Yordanka Asenova Fandakova and the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office that led to the cancelation of the procession in the past and calls on Bulgarian authorities to mobilize all efforts to ensure a legal ban on the march and prevent it from taking place on Saturday.