As Bulgaria marked the 143 year anniversary of the battle of Shipka Pass, one of the defining moments in Bulgaria's history, a group of five anti-government demonstrators barricaded themselves inside the Shipka monument that commemorates the events of the battle. The group then hung a large banner in the colors of the Bulgarian flag with the phrase RESIGN superimposed on top. They were forcefully removed from the historic monument by police forces, which also took down their banner. The Poisonous Trio - an informal group of three protest organizers criticised the move, stating that national monuments shouldn't be used for political purposes, while the historic site's custodian defined it as an insult.