Taliban Use Violence in Response to Protests and Dissent
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Wednesday, reports surfaced across the political spectrum of the Taliban using violence to break up protests and consolidate control over Afghanistan. The Taliban's promise of "safe passage" for Afghans to the Kabul airport has also been contradicted by photographs and media reports as thousands attempt to escape the country.
These reports conflict with the Taliban's recent assurances that they would not hold grudges against past enemies, infringe on women's rights, and that they would welcome free press.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Taliban Opens Fire On Crowd After They Wave Afghanistan Flag, Fatalities Reported
Taliban terrorists reportedly opened fire on a crowd in Afghanistan on Wednesday because the protesters insisted on waving the flag of Afghanistan.
“A public display of dissent in the northeastern city of Jalalabad was met by an overwhelming use of force,” The New York Times reported. “Taliban soldiers fired into the crowd and beat protesters and journalists.”
NBC News journalist Richard Engel tweeted: “Afghans demonstrate in Jalalabad in support of keeping Afghan flag (instead of white Taliban flag). Local media report Taliban fires on them, killing 2 and injured others.”
State-funded foreign media claimed that...
From the Left
Images of bloodied Afghans contradict Taliban's claims of moderation
Reports that Taliban fighters have beaten women and children at a checkpoint in Kabul emerged on Wednesday as the group attempted to consolidate its control after a rapid takeover of the the country.
The Taliban's assurance of a “safe passage” to the Kabul airport, where thousands have thronged in a desperate bid to be taken out of the country, has been undermined by a report and photographs by a Los Angeles Times reporter.
In one of the graphic images, a woman and child are seen with blood on their faces and apparently unconscious....
From the Left
Taliban violently disperse rare protest; 1 killed, 6 wounded 
The Taliban violently broke up a protest in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least one person as they quashed a rare public show of dissent. The militant group meanwhile met with former officials from the toppled Western-backed government.
The insurgents’ every action in their sudden sweep to power is being watched closely. They insist they have changed and won’t impose the same draconian restrictions they did when they last ruled Afghanistan, all but eliminating women’s rights, carrying out public executions and harboring al-Qaida in the years before the 9/11 attacks.
But many...
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April 23rd, 2024
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