In Kazakhstan, gov't subsidized gas was being smuggled from Almaty to neighboring China and Kyrgystan in order to sell at market prices - triple the amount. Th

In Kazakhstan, gov't subsidized gas was being smuggled from Almaty to neighboring China and Kyrgystan in order to sell at market prices - triple the amount. This caused a massive black market to emerge, so Kazakhstan raised prices closer to the market levels to curb the black market and the organized crime that comes with it. That is why the protesters are so well organized, and why it is specifically violent in Almaty.