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Protest in the city of Almaty
Photo: Vladimir Tretyakov / dpa
Since the weekend there have been protests in Kazakhstan against rising gas prices, which have spread rapidly from the center of the country to large parts.
The country's government has now declared a state of emergency because of the situation.
As stated on the website of President Kassym-Schomart Tokayev on Wednesday, night curfews were imposed in the economic metropolis of Almaty in the southeast and the resource-rich region of Mangystau in the west of the Central Asian country.
The police had previously used stun grenades and tear gas against thousands of demonstrators in Almaty.
Journalists from the AFP news agency counted at least 5,000 participants in the protests in the city on Tuesday, despite freezing temperatures and a large security presence.
Protesters attacked vehicles, including a fire engine.
Several protesters and some police officers were hospitalized with apparently minor injuries.
Message apps like Telegram, Signal or Whatsapp no longer worked.
Two independent news sites on the Internet were blocked.
According to government information, the state of emergency should remain in force for two weeks.
On Monday evening there were also protests in the city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea.
On Tuesday evening, the authorities announced that they would cut gas prices in Mangystau significantly.
Tokayev justified this concession on Twitter by saying that it was about "ensuring stability in the country".
The prices for liquefied gas had doubled within a very short time.
Many people in the country run their cars on gas.
In a video posted online, Tokayev called for an end to the protests.
"Do not react to the provocations from abroad and from the interior," he said in it.
"Do not respond to calls to storm official buildings. This is a crime for which you will be punished," said the head of state.
He also announced that a government commission had started its work to find a solution that was "acceptable to all sides".
President Tokayev has been in office since 2019.
He is the successor to long-time head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had ruled Kazakhstan since 1989.
The 81-year-old Nazarbayev continues to control the country's politics as the "leader of the nation".
The title grants him extensive privileges and immunity from prosecution.
jok / AFP
