Kazakhstan Protests: What Exactly Happened?

By CODY ALLEN January 21st, 2022

A protesting crowd in Kazakhstan (Photo: Esetok / Wikimedia).

As protests have decreased and foreign entities are leaving Kazakhstan, what happened to cause the trouble, and what went on during the protests? A lot actually occurred, as there were mass protests, foreign intervention, but to look at all of this, a background is needed on what caused the protests, and Kazakhstan itself.

In terms of land area, Kazakhstan is the largest in Central Asia. The nation is relatively young, as it gained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It also has a population of 19 million, with each citizen making an average of 2,500 Euros a year.

Politically, the nation has remained somewhat the same. For almost three decades, the president has been Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was a former Soviet-era Politburo member. Some have claimed that the country isn’t democratic, as protests without government permission are illegal, and Nursultan Nazarbayev built statues of himself and named the capital after himself, with the city being named Nur-Sultan.

The protests were started by a number of factors including disdain for the current system of authoritarian government. However, the spark of the protests was the government removing the cap on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices. This was a staple in the automotive industry, as many Kazakhstan citizens used this as an alternative to other fuels as it was cheaper.

The protest started on January 2nd, 2021 after the price cap on LPG was lifted. Protests originated in the city of Zahanozen, though they quickly spread around the country. The protests also started not just encompassing anger against the price cap, but generally anti-government sentiment as well. A common slogan of contempt against the government was the phrase “Old man out,” which was in reference to the former president Nursultan Nazarbayev still being in charge of the National Security Council.

After a few days of protests, the government relented and replaced the former president on the National Security Council. They also placed a 180 day moratorium on fuel price increases and utility rate increases.

However, the protests escalated to violence. The mayoral office was burnt in Almaty, the airport was also seized for a short time, a statue was torn down, and some stores were even looted. Some attempts were even made to storm police stations to gather small arms, which succeeded in some areas. At the same time, some activists within Kazakhstan reported internet shutdowns, with the entire country’s internet being shut down at 4:45 pm and lasting for seven hours.

This resulted in President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declaring a state of emergency, and requesting CSTO, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, to send forces to assist in restoring stability. The alliance agreed, and about 2,500 soldiers, mainly from Russia but also from other member states, were sent to help Kazakhstan security forces.

Over the next couple days, more internet shutdowns occur. There also was a “shoot to kill” order given by the president to security forces against the protestors. The arrest of former prime minister and former national security boss Karim Masimov occured. On January 10th, when protests were winding down, a state of mourning was established by the government for those who had been victims of the unrest.

Finally, on January 11th, the government declared the protests had ended. Nearly 8,000 people were detained throughout the protests, and 225 were killed. Numerous properties, including malls, were looted and damaged during the protests.

The government of Kazakhstan currently is claiming that the protests were started by terrorists with foreign backing, inclduing “radical islamist fighters with combat experience”. However, there currently is no evidence to prove this as true.

With the arrest of Karim Masimov, political analyst Dosym Satpayev claims that stability is threatened due to a “competition for power between the elite”. However, the future of Kazakhstan depends on actions the government takes, or if more protests will occur.

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