As reporters from the AFP news agency reported, Taliban fighters hit a foreign photographer with the butt of a rifle on Thursday when he wanted to accompany the protest march. At least two other journalists were punched and kicked while they were running away.
The journalists wanted to report on the protest by around 20 women who called for their right to study and work on posters. Sahra Mohammadi, one of the organizers of the protest, told the AFP: “The situation is such that the Taliban do not respect anything: neither journalists – foreign and local – nor women”.
“Do not be afraid of the Taliban, even if your family does not allow you to leave your home,” Mohammadi shouted to the women. «Go out, make sacrifices, fight for your rights».
Since the Taliban came to power in August, women have repeatedly organized protests to draw attention to their situation under Islamist rule. However, the fighters regularly use force against it. Despite the assurances of the new rulers to respect women’s rights, girls in Afghanistan are still not allowed to go back to schools in many places. Many women are still not allowed to return to work.