The straw that broke Kazakhstan's back

ALMATY, Kazakhstan: The most violent protests of the past 30 years have erupted across Kazakhstan — exposing decades of inequality, injustice and corruption. The protests of an unprecedented scale have rocked cities across Kazakhstan for days, as the population has grown increasingly dissatisfied with the country's leadership.

The government initially tried a carrot-and-stick approach to the unrest, but later was pushed to call a state of emergency and ultimately to request military help from former Soviet allies.