People from all over Kazakhstan marched to the presidential palace in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan’s capital, to protest rising interest rates and crippling personal debt. Police blocked the march. On May 17, Kazakhstani President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev celebrated his 68th birthday with a demonstration. Birthday greetings and aid demands were yelled by the demonstrators.
Kazakhs protested in Almaty against so-called reeducation camps in China’s Xinjiang province, where relatives are said to be held. The 100th day of demonstrations began on May 18. Qalida Aqytkhan was stopped by police on her way to the Chinese Consulate, holding a photo of her three sons and urging Kazakhstani authorities to force China to free them, claiming they are being detained on “unfounded charges.” No
RFE/RL