Thousands in anti-government protest in Sofia

Thousands of people in Bulgaria took to the streets of the capital Sofia on Monday to protest against the government and the country's top prosecutor, accusing them of corruption and criminal connections.

It was the fifth straight day of protests.

The rallies have been mostly peaceful, although there have been occasional clashes and 18 arrests.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who backs the protests, has called on the center-right government of Boyko Borissov to step down and chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev to resign.

In an address to the nation last weekend, Radev said that people demand "the restoration of the rule of law and basic civil freedoms that have been methodically violated over recent years."

The protests started after the chief prosecutor ordered police to raid the president's headquarters and arrest two of his aides, on suspicion of influence peddling and disclosure of classified documents.

Many saw the raid as an attempt by Geshev to silence the president, who is a vocal critic of the government.

Prime minister Borissov has been in power since 2009 and his third term is scheduled to end in March next year.

The biggest opposition party in Parliament, the Socialists, are planning a no-confidence vote in the government on Wednesday.