Opposition: Government: Mukhtar Ablyazov Janara Ahmetova Erjan Turgumbai Janbolat Mamai Bella Orynbetova Aidos Sadykov Gani Stambek Nursultan Nazarbayev Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Askar Mamin Nurtai Abykayev Kalmukhanbet Kassymov Mäulen Äşimbaev Dariga Nazarbayeva Bektas Beknazarov Nurlan Nigmatulin Adilbek Zhaksybekov Erbolat Dosaev Kairat Kelimbetov Umirzak Shukeyev Sauat Mynbayev Mukhtar Tleuberdi Aslan Musin Askar Zhumagaliyev Imangali Tasmagambetov Nurlan Yermekbayev Murat Bektanov Murat Maikeyev Saken Zhasuzakov Mukhtar Altynbayev Asset Issekeshev Murat Beketayev Altai Kólginov Bakhytzhan Sagintayev Daniyal Akhmetov Karim Massimov Marat Khusainov Erlan Turgymbaev Gabit Bayanov The 2018–2020 Kazakh protests were a series of civil protests that took place in cities across Kazakhstan, commencing in May 2018 and gaining traction after a fire in Nur-Sultan (formerly named Astana) killed five children in February 2019.

Some commentators attribute President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev's decision to dismiss the government of Prime Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintayev later that month in part to the protests.

[5] QDT leader Mukhtar Ablyazov called for rallies to be held on 10 May 2018 to coincide with the visit to Kazakhstan of the official mission of the European Parliament which was to assess how the country is fulfilling its obligations to respect human rights.

[6] Unauthorized protests took place that day in the cities of Astana, Almaty, Oral, Aktobe, Atyrau, Semey and Shymkent where the participants demanded the release and an end of torture of political prisoners.

The Prosecutor General's Office also accused of Ablyazov hiring professional actors and models with Asian appearance in videos whom were not Kazakhstani citizens–but in fact–Kyiv residents and warned that Kazakhstanis willing to participate in an unsanctioned rallies would violate the provisions of the law "On the Procedure for Organizing and Conducting Peaceful Assemblies, Rallies, Processions, Pickets and Demonstrations" and that participants would face up 15 days of arrest.

[9] On the day of protests, dozens of people were detained in cities of Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent of which none of them expressed any demands nor did not hold banners in their hands.

[10] On 16–17 December, detentions took place in Kazakhstan such as in Almaty where activists attempted to honor the memory of the victims of Zhanaozen massacre and Jeltoqsan in the Republic Square.

Despite the frigid climate of northern Kazakhstan, this family lived in a new part of town that that had yet to have city gas pipes installed, leaving them no option but to turn on the stove to keep their children warm.

This anger about lax oversight – of the country's financial resources, of its rapid urbanization, and of its poor – exposes a lack of public confidence in state structures.

[14] On 21 February, President Nursultan Nazarbayev issued a statement announcing he had dismissed the government led by Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

The protest itself was organized by a banned opposition group the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan which is led by a former, now-exiled Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov.

[18] The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that in Nur-Sultan, the protesters used throwing stones, objects that came to hand, and used pepper spray, which caused three police officers to be injured.

[19] According to official reports, the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the police and the National Guard took measures to ensure public safety and law and order, the squares and streets were cleared of protesters by dispersal and detentions.

[21][22] On 10 June, at an unauthorized protest, Rinat Zaitov, a Kazakh musician and poet who was a supporter of Amirjan Qosanov, was detained in Almaty, where his speech was filmed by Channel 31, who also recorded his arrest on video.

The remaining protesters then held a march on Töle Bi Street which was accompanied by drivers honking their horns, causing an overflow in traffic.

[28] The operator of the online news Vlast.kz Yekaterina Suvorova, the journalist of Azattyq Pyotr Trotsenko and political scientist Dimash Aljanov, who worked at the NGO Center for Legal Policy Research, were arrested.

[30] Protests took place in Nur-Sultan and Almaty on 9 November calling for "freedom for political prisoners, a parliamentary republic, and fair elections", coordinated by Respublika and Oyan, Qazaqstan.

The first one was organized by the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (QDP), led by Janbolat Mamai, who was detained by the police earlier on Friday night and faced 3 days of detention.