VTSIOM: over 60% of Russians approved the suppression of riots in Kazakhstan by force, most often Russians call the provocation of foreign special services as the most likely scenario of what is happening in Kazakhstan. Only 8% agree with the version that it was a terrorist attack
The majority of Russians interested in the events in Kazakhstan (63%) approve of the use of law enforcement agencies to suppress unrest, a VTsIOM poll showed. The most popular version of events among Russians was the provocation of foreign intelligence services.
1,600 respondents took part in the survey, it was conducted by phone. The sample was adjusted taking into account socio-demographic factors. The maximum error size with a 95% probability does not exceed 2.5%. The data on the responses are calculated from the proportion of those who followed the events in Kazakhstan.
According to the survey, 72% of Russians followed the January events in Kazakhstan. 74% of respondents are more or less interested in the situation in Kazakhstan, for a third of what is happening is of particular importance (34%).
Most often (26%) respondents from among those who are interested in the situation in Kazakhstan characterized what is happening there as a riot, uprising or popular unrest against the background of rising gas prices, declining living standards and dissatisfaction with the current government. 17% described the events as a coup d’etat.
Of the options offered to respondents for what is happening (a question with a closed answer), the most popular was “this is a provocation of foreign intelligence services”. 17% of respondents from among those who were interested in the events in Kazakhstan called what was happening a “popular uprising”. 14% consider the clashes to be a struggle for power of various Kazakh clans or a redistribution of spheres of influence.
Only 8% of respondents agreed with the official version of events that the situation in Kazakhstan was the result of a terrorist attack.
Almost half (49%) of the respondents stated that they rather negatively relate to the participants of the protest actions. Only 25% supported them.
The decision to send the Russian military to Kazakhstan as part of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent was approved by 71% of respondents.
The riots that began in Kazakhstan on January 2 were initially provoked by the doubling of the price of liquefied gas, which is used by up to 70% of motorists in the country. However, later political demands began to sound at the protests, including the resignation of the government. On January 5 and 6, the conflict escalated, and the rallies turned into fighting.
A number of administrative buildings, including akimats (administrations) of Alma-Ata, Aktau and several other cities, were seized. A state of emergency has been imposed in the country, the Kazakh authorities have asked the CSTO for help. On January 13, less than a week after the arrival of the military contingent, the withdrawal of peacekeepers began.
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