Masked Men Attack International Women's Day Crowd in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Masked men attacked a crowd of demonstrators marching on International Women’s Day, March 8, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The demonstration against gender-based violence was held in Bishkek, and arrests were made, according to AFP reports.

The men, wearing traditional Kyrgyz white felt hats, tore placards, shot down balloons with toy guns, and threw eggs at the crowd before fleeing, the report said. Roughly 70 people, including three suspected attackers, were arrested.

Downtown demonstrators had been banned in Bishkek until July 1, “purportedly as a measure against the coronavirus, although Kyrgyzstan does not have any confirmed cases”, the RFE/RL report said. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful