Kyrgyz police disperse crowd with tear gas – video from the scene

Kyrgyz police have used tear gas to disperse supporters of opposition leader Urmat Baryktobasov.
Thousands of protesters gathered near a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Kant and attempted to head towards Bishkek. Kyrgyz Interior Minister Kubatbek Baibolov stated that they were plotting an armed coup. Eyewitnesses say that police officers blocked the road and fired several shots into the air before firing tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd.
Shortly after the Tulip Revolution in 2005, businessman Urmat Baryktobasov announced his intention to run for president. However, the Central Election Commission rejected his nomination because of his dual citizenship. Baryktobasov’s supporters seized the government building and held it for several hours. This prompted a criminal investigation, and Baryktobasov was accused of attempting a coup and put on a wanted list. The Kyrgyz media reported he had gone into hiding in one of the Arab countries, where his business is based. After President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was overthrown in April, Baryktobasov returned to Kyrgyzstan and was placed under house arrest in the town of Balykchi.