A peacekeeping mission was deployed by CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) on the President’s request to his old ally, Russia. He imposed an overnight curfew in the capital city till 19 th January. President Tokayev announced a national emergency, banning mass gatherings, restricting movements, and restricting access to the internet.

This shows that the protests are not just against rising oil prices but the much broader grievances that have deep roots in the politico-economic landscape of Kazakhstan.Īfter Ukraine and Belarus, Kazakhstan is the 3 rd former Soviet country to face similar protests. But now the slogan of “ shal ket!” (go old man, go) can be heard in the major cities of Kazakhstan, indicating the citizen’s disappointment towards their former President. Nursultan had won 5 consecutive elections, securing 98% of the vote as recently as 2015 elections. During the protests, Nursultan’s statue was brought down by angry mobs who once paid respect to the man. He stated that he would act as tough as possible, reflecting the erstwhile President Nursultan, whose dictatorial rule made him go from being the beloved father of the nation to the most hated person of the nation. President Tokayev accepted the resignation of the government, and took charge as the Chairman of the National Security Council. Meanwhile, a large number of the local populace demands political accountability and protection of their lands.Īs a result of the mass protests, the Prime Minister and his cabinet resigned on 5th January. Still, the political elites from capital Astana visit chateaux in Western Europe and get rich from the country’s gold uranium, oil, gas and cryptocurrency farms. The country is struck by a crippling economy, lowering GDP and the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the current protests, President Tokayev has issued the ‘shoot-to-kill’ order, suspiciously blaming a band of armed bandits and terrorists for the widespread violence in Kazakhstan recently. He remained the Chairman of the National Security Council till he was succeeded by the current all-powerful President Kassym–Jomart Tokayev. Nursultan Nazarbayev, a former loyalist of the Communist Party when Kazakhstan was part of Soviet Russia, is also known as Elbasy meaning “the father of the nation.” He has been the President of Kazakhstan for 5 consecutive terms starting from 1990, finally stepping down in 2019 as President. Photo of demonstrators holding hands and making a human chain : Demonstrators denouncing the doubling of prices for liquefied petroleum gas have clashed with police in Kazakhstan's largest city and held protests in about a dozen other cities. Locals were heard chanting in the streets “Kazakhs are accustomed to patience but they have grown tired and they have had enough.” More and more people gathered to join the march against the exploitative politico-economic class, the group that lives well while everyone else is in poverty. The protests grew past the concern with fuel prices to address the wider grievances such as the Kazakh elites trading political freedom for economic growth, rise of inequality, and lack of people’s representation in politics - with rampant corruption to top it all. This led to the citizens’ bottled up emotions oozing out. The protests were sparked by soaring fuel prices, with LPG prices almost doubling on 1 st January, 2022. The protestors across Kazakhstan demanded a more democratically open political system, disturbing the balance of power of the government’s authoritarian and plutocratic regime. For the first time since the formation of a sovereign and independent Kazakhstan in 1990, there have been protests of a high magnitude, with charred cars littering the nomadic cities. It commenced in front of the mayor's house in the Mangystau province, and soon the mayor’s office in Almaty, the country’s largest city, was set ablaze. Kazakhstan, once the bastion of stability in central Asia, witnessed an uprising of common citizens and large gatherings of civilians against the plutocratic.

Plutocracy band