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Horseback protesters gather on central square in Mongolia’s capital

The first participants in the horseback rally moved to a nearby park for the time being

ULAANBAATAR, December 8. /TASS/. About 1,000 people gathered to protest on the central square in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar on Thursday, the fifth day of protests, a TASS correspondent reported.

This time, horseback riders from various regions of the country joined the rallies. Police officers asked the newcomers to leave as the city’s mayor had banned horseback riders from entering the central square. "We haven’t come here to wreak havoc, we have come to show that the country’s regions support the protest movement. We want to meet with government officials and make our voice heard," the horsemen said. According to them, about two hundred more riders are expected to arrive in the capital from various regions of Mongolia.

The first participants in the horseback rally moved to a nearby park for the time being. Mongolia’s Public Radio reported that law enforcement officers had begun to detain horsemen at the entrances to the city, denying them entry.

A protest rally triggered by dissatisfaction over an investigation into a case on coal exports to China bypassing customs control broke out in the Mongolian capital on December 4. Demonstrators demanded to name the suspects, claiming there were high-ranking officials among them. On December 5, protesters tried to storm the Government Palace. On December 7, the Mongolian prime minister announced the creation of a working group to investigate the case, which will include up to 100 protesters along with government officials.

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