How the crisis in Kazakhstan went from fuel protests to a ‘shoot to kill’ order

Violence continued successful Kazakhstan Friday. The president called connected troops to “shoot to termination without warning,” arsenic Kazakhstan’s Internet remains heavy blocked.

Here’s how, successful little than a week, choler implicit rising substance prices led to a deadly crackdown successful the state of 19 cardinal people.

Kazakhstan, an oil-rich federation and 1 of the largest successful the satellite by area, lifted terms caps connected liquefied petroleum gas, which is utilized to run astir vehicles. The determination caused the terms of substance to skyrocket, astir doubling overnight.

That sparked anger, particularly successful the little affluent occidental portion of Mangistau, wherever protests began to instrumentality clasp implicit the weekend.

Protests successful Kazakhstan are comparatively rare; the authorities rules with an robust fist and has utilized unit to ace down connected opposition. In 2011, constabulary fired connected demonstrators successful Mangistau, sidesplitting much than a twelve people.

But the uprisings successful the country’s westbound dispersed to different parts. By Tuesday night, astir 5,000 radical had gathered successful Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. The demonstrations became little astir the fuel-cap determination — which the authorities said Tuesday it would reverse — and much astir dissatisfaction with those successful charge.

Father of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev, 81, has ruled Kazakhstan for 3 decades, since the state gained independency successful 1991. He handpicked Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arsenic his successor arsenic president successful 2019, but has kept a steadfast grip connected power.

Protesters shouted “Old man, spell away!” arsenic they rallied successful frigid temperatures.

On Wednesday, the demonstrations got much heated. Protesters attempted to propulsion down a statue of Nazarbayev.

They acceptable occurrence to authorities buildings.

They besides stormed the airport.

With the Internet and messaging apps successful overmuch of the state blocked, Tokayev took to the authorities airwaves to telephone the demonstrators “international terrorists.”

He called connected Russia to assistance quell the protests.

On Thursday, neighboring Russia heard those calls, dispatching its “peacekeepers” — portion of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which was formed aft the dissolution of the Soviet Union — to Kazakhstan. It is unclear however galore were deployed, oregon however agelong they volition stay.

Local information forces fired connected protesters Thursday, sidesplitting “dozens,” according to a Kazakh official.

Violence escalated arsenic protests continued. Tokayev told forces to “shoot to termination without warning” successful an effort to quash the uprising.

Authorities said that successful summation to the dozens killed, immoderate 4,000 “riot participants” were detained.

The president besides dismissed the anticipation of talks with the protesters, saying successful a televised address, “What negotiations could determination beryllium with criminals and murderers?”