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Protests in Almaty begin to subside — eyewitnesses

The sources said that as of 01:00 Moscow time (04:00 local time) "sounds of stun grenades are still heard, but they are becoming rarer"

NUR-SULTAN, January 5. /TASS/. Protests in Kazakhstan’s largest city of Almaty are subsiding as the majority of protestors in Almaty are going to their homes, eyewitnesses told TASS on Wednesday.

The sources said that as of 01:00 Moscow time (04:00 local time) "sounds of stun grenades are still heard, but they are becoming rarer."

"Groups of protestors can still be seen in certain streets, and clashes with law enforcement officers take place. Some people are carrying sticks and steel rods, but in general many have already called it a day," they said.

On January 2, crowds took to the streets in the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau in the Mangistau region, protesting against high fuel prices. According to them, the price per liter of liquefied gas increased to 120 tenge ($0.27) since January 1, so the demonstrators demanded to halve it, to 50-60 tenge ($0.11 - $0.13). The president commissioned the government to assess urgently the situation in the region, taking into account economic feasibility and legal issues. The government commission arrived in Aktau and commenced work. On Tuesday, after the talks with protesters the commission announced the price of liquefied gas would be brought down to 50 tenge in the Mangistau region.

The president imposed a two-week state of emergency and a curfew in the country’s largest city of Almaty and the southwestern Mangistau Province early on Wednesday. The presidential decree prohibits strikes, peaceful gatherings and mass events in the above-mentioned areas, and restricts inbound and outbound traffic to Almaty.