Kazakh Police Crack Down On Protests

Anti-government protesters were detained on February 28 in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, and the country's largest city, Almaty. Security forces tried to surround smaller groups of protesters and push them into police buses. Rallies were called across Kazakhstan by two opposition groups -- the Democratic Party and Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan. Protesters demanded the release of political prisoners and decried the continuing authoritarian influence of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev.