Two killed in rare street demonstration for women's rights in Afghanistan

Video appeared to show Taliban forces shooting at protesters in Herat, Afghanistan as demonstrators took to the streets in a rare protest about women’s rights. Officials made a wave of arrests targeting women and young girls accused of “improper hijab”, prompting a backlash. ⁠
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“We organised through WhatsApp groups to defend our sisters,” one organiser told Rukhshana reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “People are angry about the arrests, unemployment and the continued closure of schools.”⁠
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Witnesses said Taliban officials fired on the crowd and later deployed special units to disperse the gathering. Two people were killed, three wounded and at least 13 others detained after being beaten, according to local sources.⁠
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“Today’s protest, especially with the participation of men after a long time, reflects growing public anger at the Taliban’s five years of systematic targeting of women and girls, and the intensifying repression of personal freedoms across Afghanistan,” said Samira Hamidi, regional campaigner for Amnesty International.⁠
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Taliban authorities were contacted for comment. A spokesperson in Herat told the Taliban-controlled National Television that reports about women being detained over their hijab were “baseless” and no woman had ever been arrested for this reason.⁠
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This story is part of The Guardian’s Rights and Freedom reporting project. ⁠

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