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At least eight police and national guard members have been killed during energy protests that have rocked the Asian nation of Kazakhstan.
The outgoing government has declared a state of emergency, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has promised a tough response to the demonstrations, calling them a "black period" in the country's history. He accused protesters of being "plotters" who were "financially motivated".
Much of the anger on the streets, however, seems to have been aimed at his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has held a powerful national security role since stepping down. On Wednesday, he was fired in an attempt to quell the growing unrest.