Kazakhstan: authorities have restricted access to internet and mobile communications

For the second day in Almaty, riots and clashes between protesters and police and military personnel continue. In the city, as well as in Mangistau region, a state of emergency was introduced by a presidential decree until midnight on January 19.

As ACCA has already reported, on January 4, the rallies in support of peaceful protests in Aktau and Zhanaozen began in some regions of Kazakhstan. On the evening of January 4, thousands of crowds of people appeared in Almaty on several main transport through-passages of the city. All of them were heading towards the main city square, where the mayor’s office is located. Almost immediately, the authorities turned off mobile communications and the Internet in the city, all messengers were blocked.

At about 11 pm, the crowd reached the square where the clashes began. The military and equipment were pulled to the place of the emergency. Tear gas and flash grenades were used. According to residents of the houses close to the mayor’s office, at first the protesters behaved peacefully. They sang the national anthem of Kazakhstan. Then professional provocateurs appeared, who began to throw firebombs at the police, set fire to car tires, and beat the policemen. The entire city square was shrouded in smoke. Here and there the explosions of stun grenades rang out.

Late at night, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave an address, he urged the protesters not to succumb to provocations and ruin their future.

“Power will not fall!” Tokayev said.

Later it became known that a state of emergency was introduced in Almaty and in Mangistau region.

In the early morning of January 5, it became known about the emergency resignation of the government and personnel reshuffles in the presidential administration and the National Security Committee.

At the moment, according to ACCA sources, a new wave of protesters is forming on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, information about similar protest actions comes from other large cities of Kazakhstan. Everything happens according to the same scenario. Huge crowds are moving along the main transport through-passages towards local mayor’s offices in order to capture them.