On Tuesday, hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Kabul to denounce Taliban rule and demand women’s rights. They were met with warning shots fired by Taliban forces to disperse the large crowd in the capital. Video footage shows protestors fleeing the scene while heavy gunfire is audible in the background. Protestors chanted many anti-Pakistan slogans as it is widely believed that the neighboring country supports the Taliban. Pakistan has denied these claims. One video shows Taliban fighters firing their guns into the air, a move that was banned last week after several people were allegedly killed due to celebratory air fire.
Some journalists were prevented from filming at the rally, while others who did were detained and arrested by the Taliban for hours. A former government official stated that the Taliban were using camera equipment to take close-up photos of leading protestors, likely to identify them later. Women have been actively protesting for the past week, however, today marks the first time that a large number of men joined the calls for equality and safety.
