Thousands of demonstrators continued to block roads in Kyrgyzstan for the second day on 23 February to protest decisions by regional election commissions to remove opposition candidates from the 27 February parliamentary elections, RFE/RL\'s Kyrgyz Service reported. In the Tong district, where 2,000 protesters initially surrounded the local administration to protest the removal of candidate Arslan Maliev, demonstrators eventually took over the building, demanding Maliev\'s reinstatement and the resignation of regional head Nurbek Aliev. In Kochkor district, 5,000 protesters blocked the Bishkek-Torugart highway demanding the reinstatement of candidates Akylbek Japarov and Beishin Bolotbekov and the resignation of Governor Shamshybek Medetbekov. When Kochkor district head Tariel Aitbaev arrived to speak with protesters, the latter forcibly detained him. Moreover, the heads of six rural councils in Kochkor said that they are going over to the side of the protesters. Mass protests also took place in the Tiup and Suzak regions, as well as the city of Jalal-Abad. Demonstrators across the country vowed to continue their protests until officials stop harassing opposition candidates. (RFE/RL)