Taliban breaks up womens rights protest in Kabul with bloody violence and use of gunfire and tear gas

A women’s rights protest in Afghanistan was brought to an abrupt end by the Taliban firing their guns into the air and reportedly hitting the demonstrators with their weapons until they were “bloody”.

The march on Saturday, the second in two days, was held by a group of Afghan women in Kabul who were demanding that their rights â€" to attend school, work, and be involved in government â€" are respected.

It comes after the Taliban, that had been ousted by US-led forces in 2001, pledged that women would be given their rights after the militants returned to power last month.

Several Taliban officials waded into the crowd of protesters to ask what the women were demanding after their chants had gotten louder.

Flanked by fellow demonstrators, Sudaba Kabiri, a 24-year-old university student, told a Taliban official that they wanted their rights as stipulated in Islam.

The Taliban official promised women would have their rights honoured, but the protesters are sceptical and in fear that any progress made over the last 20 years will be lost.

As the women reached the presidential palace, a dozen Taliban special forces ran into the crowd and fired into the air to break up the protest.

Ms Kabiri, who spoke to the Associated Press, said they fired tear gas. One witness told Reuters that they also used Tasers.

A demonstrator who gave her name as Soraya told Reuters that the Taliban “hit women on the head with a gun magazine” and “the women became bloody”.

A video of protester Narges Sadat, whose head was bleeding, was posted on social media. Woman-led Afghan media organisation Rukhshana Media said that the woman was “wounded in the head as a result of violence by Taliban fighters.”

Young women said that they were protesting despite their families’ concerns for their safety, with some having snuck out of their homes to take part.

Farhat Popalzai, a 24-year-old university student, said she wanted to be the voice of Afghanistan’s voiceless women, those too afraid to come out on the street.

She said: “They think this is a man’s country but it is not, it is a woman’s country too.”

“We are here to gain human rights in Afghanistan,” said 20-year-old protester Maryam Naiby. “I love my country. I will always be here.”

Before reaching the presidential palace, demonstrators laid a wreath outside Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry to honor Afghan soldiers who died fighting the Taliban.

Also on Saturday, Pakistan’s intelligence chief General Faiez Hameed visited Kabul. His surprise visit came as the Taliban was expected to announce the formation of its new unelected government.

The announcement has been postponed until next week, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.

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