Taliban celebrate taking power with demonstration near Kabul | Abroad

The crowd listened to speeches by prominent Taliban members in a large field north of the city. They were flanked by heavily armed fighters. There was also a parade where Taliban members marched past the crowd with flags and weapons, including rocket launchers.

The public had driven to the field in vehicles. Spectators brought home-made posters and chanted pro-Taliban slogans. There was music when the first people arrived. “America has been defeated. Impossible, impossible. But still possible,” was the text of one of the songs.

Muslim Fundamentalists

Opponents of the Taliban are now less and less often seen on the street. The Muslim fundamentalists have cracked down on protesters after taking power. They have now also indicated that protests may only take place if the authorities have given permission in advance.

A handful of women took to the streets last week to demand that girls be allowed to go back to secondary school. They displayed a banner in Kabul that read: “Don’t break our pens. Don’t set our books on fire. Do not close our schools.” Taliban fighters took that banner and fired into the air. A foreign journalist was hit with a gun.

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