Violent demonstrations continue – mayor’s office is stormed with batons – VG

The police fought a fierce battle. However, demonstrations continued in Kazakhstan on Wednesday morning.

There is unrest in the ninth largest country in the world, the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.

On Wednesday morning, the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the resignation of the government, and appointed the Deputy Prime Minister as prime minister for a transitional period.

Now protesters have also entered the mayor’s office in Almaty, the country’s largest city. They are said to have broken into an office equipped with batons and metal bars, local news website Zako.kz was quoted by Reuters on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, a live video clip on Instagram shows a fire in the mayor’s office. The video also shows the presence of several protesters. According to Reuters, shots can also be heard in the video.

According to Agence France-Presse, about 200 people were arrested during the demonstrations in the city, which was the country’s capital until 1998, according to Agence France-Presse.

Riot police stormed Friday’s rally and drove hundreds of protesters out in trucks. The protests have been going on since Sunday.

shock bombs against protesters

The unrest was caused, among other things, by the rise in liquefied gas prices. Many Kazakhs rebuilt their cars so they could run on gas. It was for a long time cheaper than gasoline, but prices were raised as of January 1 – this sparked the demonstrations.

On Tuesday, political leaders made concessions to the demonstrators after the riots in which angry citizens called for attacks on government buildings and military installations.

The unrest appears to be greater in the former capital Almaty, where hundreds of angry protesters have tried to storm the mayor’s office. It was reported that the police used stun grenades against them theins.ru.

Public protests are illegal in Kazakhstan – unless they apply for and get permission.

Pictures of demonstrators being arrested by what are supposed to be security police spread on social media.

A video on Twitter shows that a military convoy must withdraw after being attacked by protesters:

President Tokayev has ruled the country since 2019, when he took power from Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had been president for nearly 30 years. Recently abolished the death penalty in the former Soviet Republic. On Tuesday evening, he addressed the people, asking not to “follow up on provocations, whether from within or from abroad.”

The state administration agreed to reduce the price of gas again.

Although Nazarbayev has stepped down as president, he still wields great power as head of Kazakhstan’s important Security Council. Tokayev has close relations with Nazarbayev.

according to theins.ru Demonstrations are taking place in large parts of the country. A state of emergency was imposed in Almaty Wednesday night for 14 days, according to reports vlast.kz. At the same time, a ban was imposed on mass gatherings.

Several instant messaging services – including WhatsApp – will be closed for use on Tuesday evening. On social media, internet blocking has been reported.

Ivar Del of the Helsinki Committee wrote on Twitter that he was not surprised by the protests:

“Calls to attack government buildings and military areas are absolutely illegal,” Tokayev said in his address to the people.

– The government will not fall, but we want mutual trust and dialogue, not conflict.