Taliban fighters violently dispersed a rare protest of Afghan women in Kabul on Saturday as the one year anniversary of their reconquest of the country approaches.
“Justice! Justice! We’re fed up with ignorance,” the woman chanted outside the Education Ministry. “Bread, work and freedom.”
Many of the about 40 women defiantly appeared without veils and some did not wear burkas.
The protest didn’t last long. Taliban fighters promptly dispersed the women by firing their guns into the air. The militants beat those who took shelter in nearby shops with their rifle butts.
Since taking power on August 15, 2021, the militants moved to sharply curtail the rights of women in the country. Many of the protesters also changed “15 August is a black day.”
Despite promises of reform, The Taliban has moved to restrict educational opportunities for women and have booted many from government jobs. In March, they banned secondary education for girls, and in May, the country’s top leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, ruled that women must not appear outside unless fully covered.
