Kazakhstan unrest: Fuel price protest & rebellion rock stability in ex-Soviet nation

Kazakhstan has declared a state of emergency as the scattered protests and rage linked to the fuel price hike flared into full-blown civil unrest across the central Asian nation prompting the embattled leader President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to call for urgent help from the CSTO, a post-Soviet military alliance which includes Russia. The repressive former Soviet country is witnessing large-scale violence as angry civilians torched the government buildings, ransacked the businesses, and hijacked at least five airplanes and entrance to the country’s Almaty airport, in an act that Tokayev decried as “terrorism.” 

"Terrorist gangs are seizing large infrastructure facilities, in particular in the Almaty airport, five planes, including foreign planes,” Kazakh leader said on state channels. "Almaty has been attacked, destroyed, and vandalized.”

Smoke rises from the city hall building during a protest in Almaty, Kazakhstan. [Credit: AP]

Demonstrators, including one person holding police ammunition, gather during a protest in Almaty on Wednesday. [Credit: AP]

317 officers wounded, 8 soldiers dead

kazakhstan's Tokayev appealed for immediate help from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that includes an alliance of military forces from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.  The situation on Wednesday spiralled out of control with extremists obstructing the military truck and holding soldiers on threats bogging them to the ground to kneel and surrender, according to unverified footages circulating online.

In other places, at least eight police officers and national guard personnel were killed on top of the mounting civilian casualties, Kazakhstan's local outlet Tengrinews.kz. reported. Nearly 317 officers and more were injured according to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

Riot police walk to block demonstrators during a protest in Almaty, Kazakhstan. [Credit: AP]

"In the cities of Almaty, Shymkent, and Taraz, attempts were made to attack akimats [local administration offices], where windows, doors were broken, and other material damage was caused," a statement on the ministry's website read. "Stones, sticks, gas, pepper, and Molotov cocktails were used by the mob.” The country’s military battled the outnumbering civilians outside the city, as they damaged and set ablaze infrastructure facilities in Almaty running rampant on a destruction spree. Among those rioting, "many of them have received military training abroad,” President Tokayev revealed in a state press address 

While Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on Facebook that CSTO peacekeepers are preparing to enter Kazakhstan to tackle the law and order, here’s what triggered the civil unrest that continued to rattle the central Asian country. 

Demonstrators denouncing the doubling of prices for liquefied gas have clashed with police in Kazakhstan's largest city and held protests in about a dozen other cities in the country.  [Credit: AP]

A ‘very difficult page in the history of the state...’

Mass protests broke out in Kazakhstan, triggered by fuel prices inflation in the Central Asian country this week as civilians, in disagreement with the country’s leadership, flooded the cities lodging protests against government policies. As widespread demonstrations strengthened and intensified, violent clashes broke out between the police and Kazakh citizens, Officers trying to curb the mob from attempting to storm government buildings in defiance of the sitting government’s rule, were brutally injured and attacked. In view of the situation, the Kazakh leader declared a state of emergency in two parts of the country. 

 

The angst was fuelled after the state government lifted price controls on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the beginning of 2022 and the Kazakh citizens switched to fuel motor vehicles due to low costs. Angry at the decision, more than 10,000 people encircled at the city administration building. Serikzhan Mauletbay, deputy editor in chief of Orda.kz, said in an Instagram live video that these citizens were in possession of stun grenades and launched “some kind of” fire at the officers and towards the building.

Riot police officers hold their weapons ready as they try to stop demonstrators during a protest in Almaty on Wednesday. [Credit: AP]

Gunshots were being fired as live rounds of bullets resonated in the air, while it remained unclear where the firing was coming from, journalists on the ground described the situation a ‘total chaos.’ State-run media reported that a curfew was ordered until January 19, and movement of all transportation was restricted across three major cities and at least 14 regions of the former Soviet nation. 

Kazakh President declared that the country has ‘failed’ to quell days of protests as it sought the help of other nations and asked the Russian-led security bloc to take control. “Today I appealed to the heads of CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) states to assist Kazakhstan in overcoming this terrorist threat,” Tokayev said on state television early this morning, Thursday. “In fact, this is no longer a threat,” he added. “It is undermining the integrity of the state,” he lamented.

These so-called civilians, said the Kazakh leader, “received extensive training abroad” – and are “currently rampaging” the nation, destroying the public and private property.

“They are seizing buildings and infrastructure and, most importantly, are seizing the premises where small arms are located,” he warned. “There’s currently a battle ongoing near Almaty with the air forces of the defence ministry, a stubborn battle,” he grieved. The appeal for help came after the presidential residence and the mayor’s office were set on fire by the civilians. The clashes and riots so gravely intensified that the police forces opened fire at the protesters advancing towards them, fired water cannon in the exceedingly freezing weather, and launched stun grenades, and used tear gas to disperse the violent mob.

In the capital of Nur-Sultan and Almaty and other urban regions, the government imposed strict curfew measures, and then the entire cabinet shortly resigned in response to the civilian uprising. Protesters reportedly "indulged in provocations" by blocking roads and traffic and "disturbing public order." 

Global internet watchdog organization Netblocks on Thursday said that the entire country faced a pervasive internet blackout but Tass reported that low connectivity was restored in Almaty. 

Kazakh’s leader strips authority

Protesters in the oil-producing Central Asian country at first demonstrated against the fuel price hike, but the marchers turned to a collective rebellion against the authoritarian rule. Since its independence, Kazakhstan has been ruled by the same authoritarian leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, 81, who had retained his power despite stepping down as the longest-serving ruler of an ex-Soviet state in 2019. Nazarbayev, the powerful political figure, retained his official title of Elbasy, or leader of the Kazakh nation. In 2021, prominent Hollywood director Oliver Stone released a hagiographic film portrait about Nazarbayev’s authoritarian rule tilted Qazaq: History of the Golden Man. 

As the Republic of Kazakhstan witnessed the worst civilian unrest in more than a decade of country’s history, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Wednesday scrambled to strip the powerful predecessor of his role as head of the country’s security council. The former leader, though, serves as a main political force in several regions including Nur-Sultan. But the Kazakh President on Jan 5 was quick to kick out Nazarbayev’s nephew, successor to the Soviet-era KGB, from his second position at the State Security Committee as the country witnessed rage, anguish by what the Almaty’s police chief described as “extremists and radicals”, who thrashed 500 civilians and anyone in support of the autocratic rule nationwide.

In westerly Mangistau province where protests first broke out, citizens yelled out their broader political demands as they chanted in unison: “Nazarbayev, go away!” Some protesters in the city of Shymkent were so enraged that they rammed the others into the police car and a white van, leading to chaos and stampede. In the city of Aqtobe, protesters shouted “Old Man, go away!” Near mayor’s office ready to attack as police deployed water cannon and stun grenades to disperse the mob, as per the footages broadcasted online.