protesters overwhelmed the police, and took control of two armored vehicles and numerous automatic weapons. The protest group, now numbering between three and five thousand, then moved towards the center of town and into Ala-Too Square, where gunshots and stun grenades could be heard, and protesters were seen fleeing. Protesters in Bishkek filled Ala-Too Square and surrounded the White House, the office of Kyrgyzstan's president. Police began using tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades to disperse protesters. In an attempt to gain entrance to the presidential office, demonstrators drove two trucks into the gates of the White House, at which point it was reported that police started firing on protesters with live ammunition. Witnesses reported that both protesters and riot police were wounded during the clashes, and at least forty-one protesters were killed. A state of emergency was declared, as well as a curfew from 10 pm to 6 am. Later that day opposition leaders and demonstrators stormed the parliament building, led by the opposition leader Omurbek Tekebayev, who had been arrested the day before but was subsequently released. The headquarters for KTR, Kyrgyzstan's main television broadcaster, was also taken over by protesters. After being off the air for part of the day, KTR resumed transmission Wednesday evening featuring members of the opposition as well as human rights representatives. By late Wednesday opposition leaders had announced the formation of a new government, and soon thereafter reports came in that President Bakiyev had left Bishkek and flown to Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan. There were no reported demonstrations in Osh. In addition to Bishkek and Talas, rallies and protests were reported in other parts of the country, including Naryn, Tokmok, and the Issyk-Kul region. There were also reports that the government of the Issyk-Kul region had been taken over by members of opposition parties. There was an information blackout throughout much of the country, as TV stations went off the air and both phones and internet became unreliable. There were conflicting reports about the fate of Kyrgyz Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongantiyev. Some reports said he was being held hostage by protesters in Talas, while other reports said he had been killed. The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry denied reports of his death, calling them "fictitious". There were also reports saying he had been badly battered, but had survived. Kongantiyev was later shown badly beaten, but alive. Opposition leaders announced that they had formed