A group of Italian Jewish teenagers was the victim of a serious episode of antisemitism in the tourist city of Bansko, Bulgaria, when dozens of alleged neo-Nazis surrounded the hotel where they were staying, performed Nazi salutes, shouted "Sieg Heil," and attempted to force their way into the building.
The delegation, made up of young people from Rome and Milan, was participating in an educational program organized by the Jewish youth movement Bnei Akiva. The incident prompted a security operation and led to the opening of an investigation by Bulgarian authorities.
The attackers surrounded the hotel and threatened the youths
According to testimonies and videos shared on social media, the attackers, dressed in black t-shirts adorned with skulls and symbols associated with extremist groups, gathered in front of the hotel on Sunday night.
While performing Nazi salutes and chanting antisemitic slogans, they attempted to force entry into the establishment where the teenagers and their educators were staying.
In addition to the shouts of "Sieg Heil", the attackers blocked the exits of the building and intimidated those inside for several minutes.
The local police arrived at the scene and initially dispersed the group. However, according to the organizers, the extremists returned shortly after and blocked the hotel entrances again, prolonging the tense situation.
Bnei Akiva highlighted the quick response of the security staff
From World Bnei Akiva, it was explained that the incident occurred during the last night of the camp, and as soon as the attack began, the coordinators ordered all participants to return immediately to their rooms to avoid any confrontation.
The camp and hotel security staff controlled the access points while notifying the police, who later identified those involved and initiated the appropriate actions.
The organization emphasized that Bulgaria had been chosen as the venue for the program after evaluating various security factors and considering that it presented a relatively low level of antisemitic incidents compared to other European destinations.
