On Saturday, August 13, dozens of women staged a demonstration in downtown Kabul, using the slogan “Food, Work, Freedom” to protest the Taliban’s anti-women policies. But the Taliban cracked down the peaceful demonstration with violence.
Their demonstration began near the Ministry of Education. They were carrying a banner inscribed with “August 15 Women’s Solidarity Day” and denounced the Taliban takeover on that day a year ago.
When the demonstrators arrived near Chahar-rahi-Sadarat, the Taliban gunmen used violence and also fired in the air to disperse the protesters.
One of the organizers of today’s demonstrationom (whose name we have withheld for her safety) told Zan Times that the Taliban first fired in the air in an attempt to disperse the demonstration and then shot into the ground near the feet of the demonstrators.
“Four different women’s groups came together on the anniversary of the Taliban takeover of power,” she explained. “The Taliban have not done anything positive for the people in the past year. They have shut down schools, they have prevented women from working; unemployment and poverty has skyrocketed.”
She said the Taliban arrested two women activists as well as several journalists covering the demonstration and broke their cameras, phones, and other equipment.
The Taliban gunmen also chased several women who had taken refuge in the nearby shops and beat them with the butts and barrels of their guns.
According to this organizer, more than 80 women participated in this demonstration. Many others could not join because the Taliban closed roads leading to its location.
One of the protesters told Zan Times, “We will not stop our struggle until we get our rights, and a rightful place in society. If they eliminate us, there are other women who will continue the fight.” She also confirmed that the Taliban beat journalists and broke their equipment.
Since the start of August, women have protested in small groups and shared photos and videos of their actions with the media.
