The dispersal of the march in Bishkek. Still image from Vesti.kg
Unknown people wearing masks and kalpaks (traditional Kyrgyz hats) have broken up a Women’s Day march in Bishkek, 24.kg reports (in Russian). Police arrived at the scene of the disturbances, but instead of accosting the attackers, they arrested participants in the march.
According to 24.kg, the march was arranged by the organisation Bishkek Feminist Initiatives. Activists assembled on Victory Square, but the scheduled march was prevented by unknown individuals wearing masks. They set about forcibly dispersing those who had gathered by throwing stones and eggs at them and tearing up their placards.
Police officers patrolling the square began to arrest the march’s participants. They were loaded onto buses and taken to a local police station. In total, around 50 people were arrested, including a number of journalists. According to AKIpress, children and foreign citizens were among those detained.
The news site reported that the attack was carried out by members of the right-wing Kyrk Choro movement. Police apparently did nothing to stop them. According to participants in the march, Kyrk Choro members even told police officers who to arrest.
The movement’s leader, Zamir Kochkorbayev, who was spotted at the scene of the events, denied that the people in masks were members of his organisation.
Several dozen supporters and family members gathered at Sverdlov district police station, where the arrested were taken. Lawyers for the arrested individuals also arrived at the police station but, according to 24.kg, were not permitted to enter the building (later they were all allowed in). Deputy head of Bishkek police department, Erlan Atantayev, told reporters that the police had not been given information about the planned march.
According to the latest information, the majority of those arrested have now been released.
Women’s Day marches have been an annual occurrence in Bishkek. Informed of plans for this year’s march, the authorities declared that they would not permit the usage of LGBT symbols, arguing that “Kyrgyz society does not accept this”. All large-scale events were later banned in the centre of the city, allegedly on account of the coronavirus. The ban came several days after the violent dispersal of a large demonstration in favour of jailed politician Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek’s Ala-Too Square which the authorities later characterised as a coup attempt.
Meanwhile, a Women’s Day march in Almaty was completed successfully , despite not being officially sanctioned by the authorities. The first authorised feminist demonstration in Kazakhstan took place in Almaty in September 2019. Previously, the authorities have repeatedly refused to give permission for such events.
