Taliban round up women ‘like cattle’ after Kabul protest

Taliban fighters have rounded up women “like cattle” in a vicious crackdown after female protesters staged a freedom march in Kabul.

It is feared the Taliban (above in Kabul) will reintroduce medieval style laws against women. Picture: Hoshang Hashimi / AFP

Taliban fighters have rounded up women “like cattle” in a vicious crackdown after female protesters staged a freedom march in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The Taliban reportedly opened fire on the protest and rounded up female marchers into a car park as others ran for their lives.

The chaos on the streets of Kabul was caught on video as heavily armed extremists fired assault rifles and rolled up in pick up trucks mounted with machine guns to break up the march.

Hundreds of people flooded the streets waving placards and the former flag of Afghanistan, demanding female representation and the progressing of women’s rights.

Female protesters chanted slogans such as “Long live the resistance” and took aim at neighbouring Pakistan which is accused of aiding the Taliban.

Standing in front of Kabul’s Pakistani embassy, women shouted “Death to Pakistan”, “Death to ISI” and “No one has the right to invade Panjshir, neither Pakistan nor the Taliban”.

On Twitter, the women’s bravery was praised, with one Twitter user stating: “World betrayed Afghan women. But 2 day they stood to save culture, history, freedom & sovereignty of Afghanistan.

“These are not just visuals but a symbol of women power, a symbol of biggest resistance terrorism ever faced, & a slap on silent guardians of human rights.”

The terror group’s crackdown on the protesters, however, was swift and brutal.

Taliban opens fire and rounds up protesters who took part in a women’s rights march.

The Taliban crackdown came after women protested against their rights being curtailed under the new regime.

World betrayed Afghan women
But 2day they stood to save culture,history,freedom & sovereignty of Afghanistan.
These are not just visuals but a symbol of women power,a symbol of biggest resistance terrorism ever faced, & a slap on silent guardians of human rights.
Salute & Respect pic.twitter.com/EUE15Niqg7

— Major Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) September 7, 2021

Women protesters in Kabul protesting in front of Pakistani embassy and shouting
“Death to Pakistan,Death to ISI”
“No one has the right to invade Panjshir,neither Pakistan nor the Taliban”
“Long live the resistance “#TerrorStatePak is EXPOSED

pic.twitter.com/OdVaXQMvR5

— Major Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) September 7, 2021

Gunmen opened fire to scatter the crowd as scores of people scurried to escape the hail of bullets.

Video footage show a group of Taliban fighters blasting their assault rifles into the air, while others show militants in stolen police pick-up trucks.

The vehicles move in with sirens blazing as they attempt to disperse the vocal crowd.

Clips also show Taliban fighters armed with canes striking women who were taking part in a protest near a university a day after the institutions reopened with segregated classes.

Taliban fighters opening fire (above) on a street protest against their regime.

Crackdown as women protest against the Taliban

The Taliban has made clear it will uphold sharia law.

Other footage showed a group of women in an underground car park, with Aamaj News Agency reporting they had been rounded up like cattle to stop them rejoining the march.

Cameramen and journalists who were covering the march have also been reported to have been detained by the Taliban and taken to an “unknown location”.

Other reports state the Taliban fighters also appeared to be taking pictures of female activists, sparking fears they may be compiling dossiers of people they consider troublemakers.

Kabul protest Taliban beating the crowd. pic.twitter.com/I1NMw5wuLC

— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) September 7, 2021

Brave Afghan women protesting and crouching from Taliban gunfire. pic.twitter.com/og0SAszS07

— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) September 7, 2021

A woman films herself after reportedly being rounded up with other women ‘like cattle’ after protesting against the Taliban.

It is feared the Taliban (above in Kabul) will reintroduce medieval style laws against women. Picture: Hoshang Hashimi / AFP

“The Islamic government is shooting at our poor people,” one panicked woman on the street said over sounds of gunfire in an Iranian television news video clip posted on Twitter.

“These people (Taliban) are very unjust, and they are not human at all.”

The protest, one of many planned against the Taliban and its supporters, came after resistance leader Ahmad Massoud called for an uprising against the Taliban.

Massoud, the son of legendary freedom fighter the “Lion of Panjshir”, is working with former Afghan vice president Amrullah Saleh to lead a resistance militia of ex-soldiers, commandos and police.

According to news reports, Taliban fighters also broke up a protest last weekend using firearms, tear gas and allegedly beating female marchers bloody.

The Taliban has denied that it executed a pregnant female police officer in front of her children because she took down one of their flags.

Shop fronts in Kabul have had the faces of women in photographs being painted over and Taliban squads have reportedly been kidnapping females as young as 12 to use as child brides or sex slaves.

The changes in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan have been swift following the withdrawal of allied troops 20 years after a democratic government was installed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the US.

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Originally published as Taliban round up women ‘like cattle’ after Kabul protest