Kazakhstan: Street political activism still an uphill climb despite vaunted thaw eurasianet.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurasianet.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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When the local government of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, authorized a march organized by several feminist collectives, observers rubbed their eyes, surprised: It was the first time in the history of the country.
The organizers then planned a 5-kilometer march along Shevchenko Street, one of the main streets of the “golden quarter,” the historic center of the city.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, the city woke up, like every year, to bustling crowds of men carrying freshly-bought flower bouquets to bring back to their loved ones and smiling women strolling with bags full of presents and flowers. Dozens of activists, however, had organized a demonstration poised to become historic.