As the country slowly comes back online, information remains scattered. One local report published by Latvia-based news outlet Meduza suggested that some demonstrations were not as violent as the world had been led to believe.“It was clear that people were angry at the regime, but nice to each other,” one source told. “People were very reasonable. They treated each other very respectfully, they didn’t allow looting.
“This is a country that is super digitally connected,” Kudaibergenova said. “People are dependent on the internet for information because they know that a lot of information that they see in state media is partial, and they want to know more.”“Because of the blockage and because of this information, we probably will not know the full truth for some time.”
“Since 2019 it was always a strategy,” added Kudaibergenova. “When there was like the smallest protest the internet would be completely blocked off around the place where it was happening. So, let’s say, because protesters were in one city square … next to some monument, for example, so the internet would be completely out for 30 meters around that monument but if you walk away and leave the protest then your internet would come back.