AFGHANISTAN PROTESTS: The Taliban’s strict new rules on women’s dress have sparked a rare and powerful protest in Herat, western Afghanistan. Security forces killed at least two people trying to stand up to the crackdown. Over the past few days, officials have been arresting women and girls, accusing them of wearing the “wrong” kind of hijab. Families say they don’t even know where their loved ones are or how they’re doing. Videos online show Taliban fighters shooting straight at protesters. That footage has set off outrage across human rights groups and from political figures who oppose the Taliban. Meanwhile, Herat’s streets are still tense, security everywhere, women not allowed to move freely, and detentions still ramping up.
Taliban’s Hijab Enforcement Triggers Deadly Protests
During the protests, Taliban militants killed women by direct firings.
This video documents one of the brutal acts of repression carried out by the terrorist militias of the Taliban regime. pic.twitter.com/QbzWnNjefB— ⚔️ ضربِ ذولفقار ⚔️ (@Zarb_E_Zulfqar) June 10, 2026
Afghanistan Women’s Rights Crisis Deepens
Mosque leaders have reportedly told people not to let their wives or daughters leave home, admitting they can’t do anything about the arrests.
Despite everything, about 70 people gathered on Tuesday, witnesses told Rukshana Media. Taliban forces lined the streets, but the protesters shouted for “Education, work and freedom,” demanding an end to women being taken away with no real reason. One resident said, “People were afraid, but they still came out.”
The Taliban answered with gunfire and brought in special units to break up the crowd. Sources say two died, three were wounded, and at least 13 people were taken away after being beaten by officials.
In one of the videos made public by the Guardian from a Jibrail district in Herat, gunmen in the Taliban outfit can be seen firing shots at dozens of protesters. A woman’s voice can be heard screaming over the sound of gunfire, chanting: “Azadi”(freedom in Dari). Women are heard saying in a 2nd video: “They are shooting.”
The terrorist Taliban open fire on protesters in Herat province. First they arrest Afghan women when people protest against it, Taliban beat and kill them. pic.twitter.com/rHWDCPOC2i
— Wais Barakzai 🇦🇫 (@WaisBarakzai) June 9, 2026
“People are angry,” said Fereshta Abassi, of Human Rights Watch. “As far as we know, the Taliban have arrested some women in the past few days, and that’s apparently why their family members and others have been protesting [against] these rules. They see the Taliban as interfering in people’s privacy, which is unacceptable.”
Women and girls are prohibited from attending schools, universities, most workplaces, even parks, since the Taliban’s return to power. Protests are uncommon in Afghanistan, and demonstrations are prohibited by the Taliban, which retaliate against protesters through attacks, detentions and torture.
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