Residents of Nessebur on the Bulgarian coast have declared that they want their town to be stripped of its Unesco status, if this is the only way for them to save their properties, Bulgarian television channel bTV said on November 18 2010.

The tension in the seaside town has been continuing all week, as authorities pursue the demolition of properties and stores that were constructed without permission – and as such – threaten the status of the town as a World Heritage site.

But time and again, the protesters, who are keeping constant vigil on the barricades, are clashing with police and are being arrested in some cases, claim that the government has applied double standards in the ruling. The protesters say that rich business people and politicians who have built massive hotels are left untouched, while ordinary people who have "slightly expanded" their properties are told to tear them down.

The Government has remained firm on the issue, as authorities insist that "Operation Bulldozer" will proceed.

Architect Yordanka Kandoulkova, Director of the National Institute for Cultural Heritage, said that Nessebur enjoying the status of a World Heritage site is a matter of national pride and a testimony of international respect for Bulgarian culture and history. Should Nessebur lose its status, this would be an "unimaginable shame upon Bulgaria," she told bTV.

However, she said, even if Nessebur were to lose its status as a World Heritage site, the Government would ensure that the town maintains its national cultural status, which essentially means that the strict controls would remain in place.

Residents are accusing the National Institute for Cultural Heritage that it had allowed in the past for a large hotel to be built near a medieval church in the town of Nessebur, which, contrary to what the authorities brand as "illegal construction" - will not be torn down.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov, has said that it was absurd for the locals to "demand" for their town to be pulled out of Unesco, as it is not up to them to make such a decision – the reality is that Unesco wants to have Nessebur scrapped from its list.

He said that it is unfair for eight million Bulgarians to suffer because 20 people in Nessebur want to keep their illegal stores and disobey the law.

What is important, according to Rashidov, is that people must come to terms with the reality of the situation. This was that Nessebur is not only a national monument, but also a global monument of history and culture, and second, the residents have broken the law, and must take responsibility for their actions.

The protests in Nessebur started several days ago when residents blocked access to Bulgaria's iconic port town and threatened to stop the police and bulldozers at all cost.

Clashes with police led to several arrests along the barricades at the bridge, while police units on speedboats flanked the front-line and landed on the peninsula, surrounding demonstrators on all sides. In the end some stores were demolished, while protesters were arrested. Other homes and stores are still pending demolition.

In spite of the protests, Regional Development Minister Rossen Plevneliev was adamant that the operation will continue, and that everything earmarked for destruction will go.