Protesters storm public buildings in Kazakhstan

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A crowd has entered the mayor’s office in the country’s largest city Almaty, writes the local media The law.

The information is confirmed by a correspondent from the news agency AFP. Reuters mentions videos that allegedly show that there is a fire in the building with the mayor’s office.

The state-controlled Russian media RT reports that protesters have stormed both the mayor’s office in Almaty and a public building in the town of Aktobe.

During the night until Wednesday and Tuesday, there were protests and clashes both in Almaty and other cities in Kazakhstan. The triggering reason is rising prices for liquefied natural gas.

Shock grenades

The correspondent from AFP describes the situation in Almaty on Wednesday as chaotic.

Over a thousand people have marched towards the most important public building in the city. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.

Also the night before, police used stun grenades and tear gas against protesters in Almaty.

More than 200 people have been arrested following protests in several Kazakh cities, according to the country’s interior ministry. 95 policemen are said to have been injured.

A state of emergency has been introduced in the affected areas until 19 January.

The government dissolved

On Wednesday night, the news came that the government in Kazakhstan has resigned. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved Prime Minister Askar Mamin’s resignation in the wake of the unrest.

Deputy Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov was appointed acting Prime Minister until a new government is in place.

– Do not listen to provocations from within and without. Do not follow calls to attack public buildings, Tokayev said in a video on Facebook earlier in the day.

The protests against gas prices started on Sunday in the region of Mangystau in the west of the country. Liquefied natural gas is widely used here as a fuel for vehicles.

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