Classes were not cancelled, it was not a public holiday, but the square was decorated and a moment of silence was held (though I’m not sure when because the scheduled time was shifted a bit). Yurts were built to represent each of the oblasts in Kyrgyzstan. Foreigners were advised to stay inside, especially after 4pm.
Around 4pm is precisely when I decided to head down to the square to take some pictures. It was as crowded as it was on Nowruz, but different somehow. More somber, more tense, more fatigued. I tried to imagine what I would do if the situation suddenly became dangerous, a riot broke out, if demonstrators start throwing rocks.
But nothing happened.
More and more it seems that no matter how many people think there might be another uprising, nobody has the desire to go through with it.
Yes, maybe this round of parliament officials gets in fist-fights with each other, but doesn’t every young democracy experience growing pains once in a while?
