Protesters Barricade Roads In Kyrgyz Gold Mine Dispute

Protesters used trees, cars, and a truck to block the highway in Issyk-Kul Province. Some 400 people were at the site of the roadblock at the height of the protest.

The protesters blocked a bridge leading into the villages of Sara and Darkhan. A day earlier, police in the regional capital, Karakol, dispersed protesters who had taken a regional official hostage for several hours and arrested 23 people. The demonstrators are now demanding the release of their comrades.

The protesters are demanding the nationalization of Kyrgyzstan's largest gold mine, Kumtor. The first such protest erupted in May, when thousands of demonstrators clashed with police near the mine.

The incident in May prompted the government to work out a memorandum last month that outlines a new deal with Canada's Centerra Gold on operating the mine.