Uprising begins in Kyrgyzstan
A people's uprising appears under way in the former Soviet Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan today as protesters stormed the presidential compound.
They chased away riot police who had surrounded the building in the capital, Bishkek, during a large opposition rally and march.
Opposition protesters seemed to have seized control of the government headquarters.
It was the culmination of weeks of protests against President Askar Akayev following what was claimed to be flawed elections.
About 1,000 protesters managed to clear riot police from their positions outside the fence protecting the presidential building, and some later entered the compound and went into the building through the front entrance.
Others smashed windows with stones, while hundreds of police watched from outside the fence.
Officials could be seen leaving through a side door, protected by Interior Ministry troops. Some camouflage-clad troops were leaving the building, and none appeared to be confronting the protesters.
Two protesters waved a flag from a top-floor window in the building, and others looked out of other windows as cheers erupted from demonstrators. Some furniture was cast out of windows.
