Kazakhstan's government announced late Jan. 4 that it was restoring some price caps on liquefied petroleum gas after the rare protests reached Almaty following a sharp rise in the price of the fuel at the start of the year.

Many Kazakhs have converted their cars to run on LPG, which is far cheaper than gasoline as a vehicle fuel in Kazakhstan because of price caps. But the government argued that the low price was unsustainable and lifted the caps on Jan. 1.

After the price of the fuel spiked, big demonstrations erupted on Jan. 2 in certain parts of the country. Public protests are illegal in the country unless their organizers file a notice in advance. Following the development of the situation, the government declared a state of emergency all over the country.

AzVision.az presents photos from riots:

Protesters broke into the Almaty mayor’s office and set it on fire. Protests are spreading across Kazakhstan over rising fuel prices.
Photograph: Yerlan Dzhumayev/TASS

A burnt-out car by the burning mayor’s office. ‘Peacekeeping forces’ from a Russia-led military alliance will be sent to help the country’s president regain control.
Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Kazakh law enforcement officers on a barricade. Images of police being overpowered by protesters are likely to cause alarm in Moscow.
Photograph: Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters

People take part in a rally in Almaty. Demonstrators also reportedly stormed the airport.
Photograph: Yerlan Dzhumayev/TASS

Riot police officers patrol in a street during a rally in Almaty. It is not clear how many troops the Russia-led alliance will send.
Photograph: EPA

A damaged room inside the mayor’s office building in Almaty. Other government buildings were reportedly also stormed.
Photograph: Reuters

Law enforcement officers gather in a square during a protest. There were further reports of violent clashes and shootings in other Kazakh cities.
Photograph: Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters

A man takes a picture by the burning mayor’s office. Kazakh media outlets cited the Interior Ministry as saying 317 police and national guard servicemen were injured and eight killed ‘by the hands of a raging crowd’.
Photograph: Yerlan Dzhumayev/TASS

Riot police officers patrol in a street during a rally. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency in the capital until 19 January.
Photograph: EPA

Protesters outside the burning mayor’s office in Almaty. In other cities, there were reports and videos of police cars set on fire and security vehicles being seized by crowds.
Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

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