This is a translation of Mirulzhan’s post from the Russian version of neweurasia.

The day started as usually, though the opposition leaders claimed that there will be the change of the regime, for the second time. A little bit more than 3.000 people, more than I wrote before, came to the protests. The lunch time. Nothing special. Front liners are shouting and screaming. The young people are holding their flags and doing some kind of athletics, running one direction, then another. To make it look more interesting.

Evening. 17:00. I passed through the square. There was almost no one in this district, I was wondering where did they disappear. It turned out that the protesters were standing in front of the White house, making a lot of noise, provoking the police and the soldiers. Most likely, those in front were hired or brought by Bakiev’s camp to work as provocateurs. One of my friends told me recently that she saw her acquaintances from Osh who told her: “Biz bularga korsotobuz!” (“We will show them what we are capable of”). They, as it turns out, worked for one of the people’s deputies, known in his district as a half-criminal authority.

The provocation started. The policemen and the soldiers shot the smoke pellets and gas, clearing the central zone of the capital from all the protesters – it continued up until midnight (even till 2.00).

At 22:30 the leaders of the opposition – Felix Kulov, Omurbek Tekebaev, Melis Eshimkanov, Ravshan Zheenbekov, Omurbek Suvanaliev, Asiya Sasykbayeva, Cholpon Zhakupova and one female journalist gave an urgent press-conference. Despite the fact that the conference was announced just an hour in advance, quite many journalists showed up. I happened to be there as well, since I was very close. This time the opposition looked frightened and nervous. They made excuses for why they were not at the square at the time of the provocations. One journalist asked aggressively: “Why, dear Felix Sharshenbayevich, you did not do anything when the protesters attempted to storm the White house. We called the leaders of the front, your press-secretary Azamat Kalman…”, but he did not receive an answer to it.

I think the press-conference lasted for about 40 minutes. Out on the street, a woman and a man, covered in blood, were waiting for the opposition leaders to talk to them and ask for their help. The woman said that the soldier hit her head and the doctors operated her, after asking her with ironically, what was she doing at the protests.

Meanwhile, the opposition leaders came out of the 24.kg building, but, not noticing those wounded people, they went to their cars, after discussing something for a long time. The guards did not let these complaining people to them – to their colleagues, their leaders.

“They were from Jalalabad”, said the woman. “They were so cruel to me..”, she told us, people standing close to her. “Are we going to give up just like that?”, she asked. I started having goose bumps. Especially when she said those two key words that really mean a lot: “Jalalabad” and “give up like this?”. I start being afraid for what can happen if all who come from other districts, especially, the North, will go back to their villages and towns and tell how the “southeners” kicked them out from their capital, how they treated them bad and so on. The regionalism will become even more radical then, which is extremely dangerous for us.

So they waited a bit for their leaders, who still didn’t pay any attention to them, and went away, the unknown direction (I think the sum of money they received was only enough for the way back).

I will return to the press-conference. Felix Kulov and others said that before the organized provocations the United Front has gathered all the “adults”, i.e. the leaders of the yurts, the tents, columns and other “leaders” to their headquarter (at Yudahin street, which is not too close to the square) and held a meeting. WHY? How could they leave this unmanageable crowd and go away? Especially knowing that the provocations are possible, and that they can happen today.

Ok, down with them. While they held their consultation, leaving their crowd to the White house, the police applied the tear gas. There were cases when the police beat up the protesters (those woman and man in front of 24.kg prove it).

Now there is a precedent. The regime applied power, and immediately felt the effective result: the crowd is dispersed, the square is clear, the headache is over, the threat to be kicked out from a warm chair is almost absent. Wow, what a result. Could Bakiev and his team have liked this method? More likely yes than no. What if he continues suppressing now that he saw such a powerful outcome? Will it be an end to peaceful assemblies? What if from now on the opposition will be suppressed and the regime will turn into authoritatian?

By the way, where did they take the protesters from the square? Where are they? All night long the soldiers were emptying the territory of the main square of Bishkek. Where did they spend the night, those who decide the future of Kyrgyzstan? Because many of them came from other places, so it’s possible they don’t even have a place to stay over night.

The active members of the United Front “For decent future” were sued for organizing the disorders. Though, possibly, it must have happened, but also it could be the beginning of political persecution.

I think that our respected opposition leaders would have been better not doing anything, just being divided, than doing what they did in the last month. They did not do any good, except for teaching Bakiev to use the violent methods of dispersing the protesters.

The peaceful transition of power did not happen for the second time. Quite the opposite, the second attempt of the regime to provoke was successful, and the opposition failed. Studying its bad experience, the opposition leaders should understand that such methods of fighting for power are not acceptable. You cannot, as Emil Dzhuraev said at his yesterday’s address, put yourself in a corner.