RIA Novosti: Kazakh protesters disarmed police in Almaty
Photo: RIA Novosti
In Alma-Ata, those dissatisfied with the policy of the Kazakh authorities took away firearms, shields and clubs from the security forces, after which they began to flock to the city center in thousands. RIA Novosti reports.
According to the agency's correspondent, the disarmed police have left the streets, no one is preventing the demonstrators from gathering in large groups and arming themselves, including with improvised means. At the same time, the Internet, mobile communications and television still do not work in the city.
Earlier it became known that in Almaty, demonstrators burned down the residence of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev. In addition, the office of the Mir24 TV channel was seized. The demonstrators demanded that the journalists provide them with a live broadcast.
Protests in Kazakhstan began on Sunday, January 2, due to an increase in gas prices for cars from 60 to 120 tenge (from 10 to 20 rubles) per liter. Soon economic demands were replaced by political ones: the resignation of the government, the holding of new elections, consideration of the issue of lustration of people from the “clan” of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Tokayev, under the pressure of protests, dismissed the Cabinet of Ministers, and also instructed to organize state regulation of prices for energy, fuel and food for a period of six months. At the same time, he introduced a state of emergency in several cities at once, including the capital of the republic, Nur-Sultan.
