The Taliban violently crushes 'one of the largest' protests against them thus far

The Taliban violently crushed yet another peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, as hundreds of women and men in Kabul marched in "one of the largest" protests against the militant group since it seized control roughly three weeks ago, The New York Times and The Washington Post report.
Demonstrators in the streets "were met with blows from rifle butts and hit with sticks" before warning shots began, per the Times. They were reportedly marching to denounce Taliban rule, demand women's rights, express support for the anti-Taliban resistance in the newly-captured Panjshir Valley, and condemn the neighboring country of Pakistan, which many believe to support the Taliban, per the Post and BBC.
"We were attacked by Taliban, they opened fire, some of the protesters were detained. Journalists were stopped from filming and covering the rally," one activist told the Post. She added that a Taliban vehicle drove into the crowd, and that fighters were deleting photos and videos of the protests from the phones of those seized.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Protesters were chanting "long live the resistance" and "death to Pakistan" as they marched, writes BBC.
Tuesday's demonstration was the second "involving women in the nation's capital in less than a week, and it was also the second to be crushed violently," the Times writes.
"We are not defending our right for a job or a position we will work in, we are defending the blood of our youth, we are defending our country, our land," said one woman. Read more at The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
A cool Canadian city break in Toronto
The Week Recommends With its world class galleries, restaurants and nearby hiking trails, Toronto makes a great alternative to New York
-
Today's Big Question Failed asylum seekers could be removed to Balkan nations under new government plans
-
The history of animal metaphors in propaganda
The Explainer Rats, snakes and cockroaches among the imagery used to dehumanise political enemies and minority groups
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
speed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs