‘Several killed’ amid firing by Taliban and stampede during rally in Afghan city

Protests by people waving the Afghan flag are the first signs of popular opposition to the Taliban

An Afghan waves the national flag as they celebrate the 102nd Independence Day of Afghanistan in Kabul on 19 August 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

Several people were killed on Thursday, as Taliban fighters fired upon a crowd of people waving the Afghan flag at an Independence Day rally in the eastern city of Asadabad, a witness has said.

The protests were the latest in an apparent growing resistance to the Taliban, who took control of the country at the weekend, following the announcement by US and Western countries that they would withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Witness Mohammed Salim told Reuters that it was difficult to say whether the casualties resulted from the Taliban’s gunshots or the stampede of protesters trying to escape the gunfire.

He said: “Hundreds of people came out on the streets. At first I was scared and didn’t want to go but when I saw one of my neighbours joined in, I took out the flag I have at home”.

“Several people were killed and injured in the stampede and firing by the Taliban,” he added.

Reuters reported that a Taliban spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

There have also been reports of protests in Kabul on Thursday, where around 200 people gathered waving flags, marching through the streets and chanting “long live Afghanistan. Our national flag is our identity” before being broken up by the Taliban.

Three people were killed during a similar protest on Wednesday, when Taliban fighters fired at protesters waving Afghanistan’s black, red and green flag in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

On Monday, a group of women staged a protest in Kabul on Monday, demanding the Taliban respect their rights and allow women to work and attend school.

Protests were also reported on Wednesday in the Paktia province, Asadabad, and Khost, with some protesters tearing down the Taliban flags and banners.

These protests have been the first signs of popular domestic opposition to the Taliban since the group seized Kabul on Sunday.

Afghanistan’s vice president Amrullah Saleh, who on Tuesday claimed to be the country’s “legitimate caretaker president” after president Asraf Ghani fled the country, has expressed his support for the protests.

On Twitter, he said: “Salute those who carry the national flag and thus stand for dignity of the nation.”

The Taliban’s crackdown on protesters has raised questions around the sincerity of the group’s desire for peace.

During the group’s first official news briefing on Tuesday, a spokesperson said that the Taliban wanted peaceful relations with other countries, adding that they would respect the rights of women under Sharia law and grant “amnesty” to those who worked with the Afghan government and foreign countries. But skirmishes from across the country have cast doubt on these aspirations.

Thursday 19 August marks 102 years of Afghan independence from British rule.

To mark the day of national significance, the Taliban said: “Today we are celebrating the anniversary of independence from Britain.

“At the same time as a result of our jihadi resistance forced another arrogant power of the world, the United States, to fail and retreat from our holy territory of Afghanistan.”