council, i intend to act as tough as possible. this is the question of the safety of our citizens who make numerous requests to me to protect the lives in the lives of their families. the situation has developed very quickly since the protests began on the 1st january in the west of kazakhstan. they started in the west. here's our central asia correspondent, rayhan demetrie. the internet is down, but some users have managed to connect using vpn. i hear some _ have managed to connect using vpn. i hear some live footage which showed the main _ hear some live footage which showed the main building in the city being set ablaze. it also sounded like there _ set ablaze. it also sounded like there was— set ablaze. it also sounded like there was gunfire used, but that is not confirmed. it'sjustjudging by large _ not confirmed. it'sjustjudging by large pictures. similar pictures are emerging — large pictures. similar pictures are emerging from other parts of the country —