OREANDA-NEWS. About 300 enterprises, including shops and public catering points, suffered as a result of the riots in the Kazakh city of Alma-Ata, the Zakon.kz edition writes.

According to him, the protests affected at least 100 office buildings, 80 food outlets and 120 shops.

Because of the actions of "extremist groups" in Alma-Ata, 120 cars were burned and 500 civilians, including women and the elderly, were beaten, said the head of the city's police department, Kanat Timemerdenov.

According to Timerdenov, on Wednesday night "extremist groups became more active," as a result of whose illegal actions, "over 120 vehicles were burned, including 33 police cars, ambulance brigades, and fire trucks." In addition, over 100 shops and trade facilities, as well as almost 200 public catering establishments, have been set up.

"More than 500 civilians were beaten, including 130 women and old people. Today the city has been subjected to new attacks by extremists and radicals," said the head of the police department of Almaty, quoted by Sputnik Kazakhstan.

The sounds of shots are heard in the area of the presidential residence in Alma-Ata, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.
As a RIA Novosti correspondent reports, rioters blocked Nazarbayev Street near the residence of President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev in Almaty. The sound of noise grenades is heard.

The street near the residence is occupied by protesters who are allegedly trying to get inside the residence.

In the early days of 2022, residents of the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau in the Mangistau region (an oil-producing region in western Kazakhstan) protested against a two-fold increase in prices for liquefied petroleum gas. 

However, the protests spread to other cities as well. In Alma-Ata, the largest city in the country, on the evening of January 4 and on the night of January 5, protesters clashed with security officials, the police used gas and stun grenades. 

The President introduced a state of emergency in Mangistau and Almaty regions, as well as in Alma-Ata until January 19.