 In the following days, protests spread to Shymkent, Taldykorgan, and Karaganda.The primary reason for the peaceful student demonstrations that started in the early morning of 17 December was the dismissal of the long-serving First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Dinmukhamed Kunaev (1964–1986) on 16 December and the appointment of Gennady Kolbin (1986–1989) as the First Secretary.Kolbin was unpopular as he had not previously lived or worked in Kazakhstan.