The protests began in the morning of 17 December, as a student demonstration attracted thousands of participants as they marched through Brezhnev Square across to the CPK Central Committee building.

Every year on 22 March, from morning to midnight thousands of Almaty residents came to the square to celebrate the national holiday of the vernal equinox - Nauryz.

In the square, every year on March 22, tents were put out, which sold baursaks, leather, rice and soft drinks.

Because of the construction zone, 60% of the area was closed by a fence, a large number of the Tien Shan fir trees were cut down, the movement of vehicles became limited.

During the Bloody January unrest in 2022, the mayor's offices that were located at Republic Square, along with the former Presidential Residence, were raided by protesters, with the buildings being set on fire and largely damaged.

[8][2] In December of 2022 the Tagzym Memorial was dedicated to the victims of the violence, both the 227 civilians and the 18 security personnel who were killed, and the hundreds more who were wounded.

It consists of a series of rectangular monoliths in black, gray and white stone with information about the incident and its victims in gilded lettering.