6 January 2022

Renewed clashes and gunfire continue to rock Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, as police, bolstered by troops from a Russian-led military alliance, try to squelch protests in the Central Asian nation's deadliest uprising in the three decades since it declared independence from the Soviet Union.

RFE/RL journalists in Almaty said security forces, some in armored vehicles, opened fired on the demonstrators...in Republican Square...

The situation in the oil-rich country has sparked international concern, with governments from Washington, Moscow, the United Kingdom and others calling for restraint on all sides...

Angry demonstrators, some of whom were armed with rubber truncheons, sticks, and shields, set fire to a presidential residence and the mayor’s office in Almaty, where protesters also seized control of the airport, prompting the temporary suspension of all flights...

Police engaged in pitched battles with the protesters, using tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets to try to disperse the crowds, but were largely unsuccessful.

The operations of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service have been restricted, and its journalists said both Internet and telephone services had deteriorated markedly...