Tens of thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets on Monday, December 1, to protest against the proposed 2026 national budget and systemic government corruption, in what is being described as the largest mass demonstration in the country in years.
According to Deutsche Welle, approximately 50,000 people participated in coordinated protests across multiple cities. Demonstrators demanded the collapse of the current government and voiced growing dissatisfaction with perceived media bias. Protesters accused state media of downplaying the scale of the movement and focusing disproportionately on isolated incidents of unrest to discredit the demonstrations.
The movement has been largely characterized as youth-led, with The Times referring to it as a “Gen Z” initiative. Young activists have been organizing and sharing protest safety tips via social media platforms, challenging traditional news coverage and positioning themselves as more reliable narrators of current events. A cartoon by independent studio Gurbetstudio showed political elites depicted as puppet masters controlling the media, police, and agents of chaos.
Following the public outcry, the government withdrew the proposed 2026 budget and pledged to draft a new version. However, the ruling coalition has stated it will not resign, a stance that continues to fuel demonstrations. Bulgarian daily Dnevnik reported that Gen Z organizers are planning further, larger-scale protests.
Elsewhere, in the United States, President Donald Trump sparked controversy after making derogatory remarks aimed at Somali migrants living in Minnesota. In remarks covered by The Washington Post, Trump said he “doesn’t want them in our country,” calling Somalis “garbage” and alleging they had “ripped off” state benefits. His comments followed the indictment of several Somali individuals accused of public funds fraud in recent years.
The Guardian described Trump’s comments as a “xenophobic rant,” while the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that his administration later suspended “all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries,” with Somalia and Afghanistan among those affected.
In a related cultural development, American singer Sabrina Carpenter criticized the Trump administration after one of her songs was used without permission. As Politico reported, the White House posted an official video promoting Trump’s immigration crackdown that featured Carpenter’s music. She called the move “evil and disgusting” on social media, adding, “Do not ever associate me or my music with your inhumane agenda.”
And in science news, The New York Times reported that veterinarians are now prescribing an animal-friendly version of the popular diabetes drug Ozempic to help obese cats manage weight. Additional research cited by The Times found that cats miaow more frequently at male owners, with researchers concluding that male humans respond more slowly to greetings, prompting pets to become more vocal.
