Protesters in front of the Mongolian parliament building display banners with slogans against corruption. January 10, 2019.
Credit: Peter Bittner
An organizer speaks at the January 10, 2019 protest against Enkhbold and MANAN.
Credit: Peter Bittner
Stern looks from demonstrators at the January 10, 2019 protest against Enkhbold and MANAN.
Credit: Peter Bittner
A Mongolian protestor wearing a traditional “deep” garment sports a hat with a traditional ger, or yurt, on it with the words: “Representative of the herders who are carrying forward the traditions of Mongolia.”
Credit: Peter Bittner
A protestor raises his arms in defiance at a rally against speaker M. Enkhbold at Sukhbaatar Square on January 10, 2019.
Credit: Peter Bittner
Demonstrators hold signs and Mongolian flags at the January 10th rally against the former parliament speaker at Sukhbaatar Square.
Credit: Peter Bittner
A protester raises his arm in anger at a rally against speaker M. Enkhbold at Sukhbaatar Square on January 10, 2019.
Credit: Peter Bittner
A protester raises his arm in anger at a rally against speaker M. Enkhbold at Sukhbaatar Square on January 10, 2019.
Credit: Peter Bittner
Occupiers in traditional gers, or yurts, register protest signatures against speaker Enkhbold at Sukhbaatar Square on January 13. The banner says “Protest against the tyranny of MANAN!”
Credit: Peter Bittner
Protesters listen to a speaker inside one of the traditional gers set up at Sukhbaatar Square.
Credit: Peter Bittner
A demonstrator presents to visitors about the ongoing political saga involving former parliament speaker Enkhbold on January 14, 2019.
Credit: Peter Bittner
A family leaves the demonstration on January 10, 2019.
Credit: Tuguldur Chuluunbaatar
Students march in Sukhbaatar Square in -25 C temperatures, on January 10, 2019.
Credit: Tuguldur Chuluunbaatar
Two men pose for a portrait after the demonstration commences against speaker Enkhbold on January 10, 2019.
Credit: Tuguldur Chuluunbaatar
Since November, Mongolia has seen a wave of protests demanding the resignation of Miyegombyn Enkhbold as the speaker of Mongolia’s parliament over his alleged involvement in a series of corruption scandals. The public pressure helped motivate a new law empowering parliament to force him out, which the legislature did on January 29.
The latest major political protest took place January 10 at Sukhbaatar Square and targeted Enkhbold. Like the previous protest on December 27, there were tens of thousands of demonstrators there to protest both corruption generally and the accusations against Enkhbold specifically. Opponents allege that Enkhbold runs a secretive group of leaders from across both major political parties known as MANAN, or “fog” in Mongolian, which has become synonymous with a shadowy oligarchy.
As one protester, 56-year-old Ganhuyag, said, “I think this year will be year of protest, because if we don’t stop MANAN, our country will not develop.”
Tuguldur Chuluunbaatar contributed to this report.
