Kazakhstanis noticed a torn flag on the Mountain of State Symbols (formerly Mount Kazakhstan) in Ust-Kamenogorsk. An eyewitness filmed the cloth torn literally in half. However, on social media, Kazakhstanis reacted with irony. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The akimat of the East Kazakhstan region confirmed the incident and said the damaged cloth had already been dismantled.
"Yes, strong wind damaged the flag. It happened on the Mountain of State Symbols. It was promptly removed," the press service commented.
But calming the raging social media users proved difficult. The news triggered a wave of irony among Kazakhstanis due to the increasing number of large fines in the country for improper use or damage of state symbols.
"Fine the operator! Fine the viewer! Fine the commenter! Fine those who read the comments!" joked one user.
Even mountains and wind did not escape sanctions. Moreover, users jokingly added that the person who finds the torn piece of cloth should also be fined.
Earlier, Kazakhstanis from Threads found an original way to bypass new government bans on using state symbols. Social media noted the striking similarity of the Kazakh flag to the flag of the Pacific state of Palau and suggested using it for clothing prints.
This incident reflects Kazakhstanis' attitude towards state symbols and the culture of humor on social media. The wind-caused mishap highlighted some public sentiments.