Protesters in Kazakhstan are setting government buildings on fire. Here’s what to know.
Kazakhstan Declares State of Emergency as Protests Over Fuel Prices Spread
Thousands took to the street as gas prices doubled. The government responded with curfews and tear gas. The president later announced the resignation of the government.
By Valerie Hopkins
Jan. 4, 2022
MOSCOW — The president of Kazakhstan declared a two-week state of emergency in two regions of the Central Asian country early Wednesday after nationwide protests erupted over rising fuel prices.
In Almaty, the country’s largest city, police fired tear gas and stun grenades at crowds of thousands of people who had refused to disperse, as protesters set police cars alight, according to wire services.
The protests, which began on Sunday, represent a rare manifestation of dissent in Kazakhstan, an oil-rich authoritarian country in Central Asia.
“Dear compatriots, I urge you to show prudence and not succumb to provocations from within and from without, to the euphoria of rallies and permissiveness,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a video address Tuesday evening. “Calls to attack civilian and military offices are completely illegal. This is a crime that comes with a punishment.”
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