Taliban fighters violently broke up a rare protest by Afghan women in Kabul on Saturday as the one-year anniversary of their retaking the country approaches.
“Justice! Justice! We’re fed up with ignorance,” the woman chanted in front of the Ministry of Education. “Bread, jobs and freedom.”
Many of the approximately 40 women appeared defiantly without veils, some wore no burqas.
The protest didn’t last long. Taliban fighters promptly dispersed the women by firing their guns in the air. The militants used their rifle butts to beat those taking refuge in nearby shops.
Since taking power on August 15, 2021, the militants have severely curtailed the rights of women in the country. Many of the protesters also changed: “August 15 is a black day.”
Despite promises of reform, the Taliban have come to restrict women’s educational opportunities and have fired many from government jobs. In March they banned secondary schools for girls, and in May the country’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, ordered women to be allowed outside only if they were fully covered.
Taliban insurgents fired bullets in response to Afghan protesters in Kabul.WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images
Taliban leaders have forced women to be fully clothed outside. WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images