The president’s residence in Almaty (formerly Almaty), which used to be the capital, found itself on fire. This was stated by the Interfax agency, which was confirmed by firefighters. Images of the fire appeared on social networks. The residence is located near the town hall, which was also set on fire.
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About 10,000 protesters armed with sticks, poles and fittings gathered in the Republic Square in Almaty on Wednesday morning, according to the Kyrgyz agency Akipress. More are coming. The protesters ignored the deafening grenades and reached the town hall, which they eventually penetrated. Smoke rises from the town hall, the fire was lit on the ground floor. Officials managed to evacuate before protesters attacked the building.
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The prosecutor’s office building and the headquarters of the Nur-Otan (Light of the Fatherland) party were also set on fire. Firefighters are already fighting the fire.
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Demonstrators in Almaty also confiscated all firearms, shields and batons from the police. According to Rio Novosti, there are currently no law enforcement officers in the city.
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Interfax also said that six o’clock in the evening, the Kazakh operator Kazakhtelecom turned off internet access throughout the country. This is also confirmed by GlobalChecks and NetBlocks data.
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Burning town hall in Almaty
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“Police officers who tried to stop the protesters are trying to escape, the protesters are beating them. Police cars deployed around the town hall left. Black smoke is rolling over the building, “said a correspondent for the Russian agency Interfax.
Demonstrators are taking batons, flash grenades, helmets and plastic shields from law enforcement, the agency added.
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Police are blocking a street in Almaty.
Photo: Vladimir Tretyakov, CTK / AP
During the protests, 33 vehicles were set on fire, including 16 police, seven ambulances, two fire trucks, seven trucks and one tanker. 300 buildings were demolished, including 120 shops, hundreds of offices and 80 public canteens and restaurants. According to the business association, banks have also been the target of attacks.
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The declaration of a state of emergency in the capital followed the attack on the town hall from Almaty. In Nur-Sultan, there are armored vehicles on the streets.
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City Hall also became the target of an attack in Aktobe, but there, the protesters were eventually driven away using a water cannon.. Protests are also taking place in Kostanaj.
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According to unverified reports, some police officers sometimes joined the protesters, or at least did not prevent them from demonstrating.
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Uzbekistan has tightened the regime on the border with Kyrgyzstan and its airlines have canceled flights to Aktau. Aeroflot continues to fly to Kazakhstan.
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Attack on Aktobe City Hall
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At night, police dispersed the protesters
On Tuesday evening, armored vehicles were deployed in the city and soldiers in anti-fragment vests began patrolling there. The protesters tried to push the vehicles out of the city center, but were dispersed by police, who used tear gas and deafening grenades against them. The Interior Ministry said that two hundred protesters had been arrested.
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WITHOUT COMMENT: Police in Kazakhstan arrested over 200 people during demonstrations against LPG prices
Video: Reuters
The protests were not calmed by the government’s resignation at night, the establishment of an interim government led by Alichan Smajlov, and the capping of gas, petrol, diesel and other fuel and staple food prices for 180 days. During this time, prices for services do not rise either, and support for apartment tenants is to be discussed. It is also to be investigated why the price of gas has doubled.
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A bus set on fire during a protest in Almaty
