Protests marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power have spread to 28 cities worldwide, with many demonstrators urging governments not to normalise ties with the group and to recognise gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
According to information compiled by Afghanistan International, protests marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power were held in Bonn, Geneva, Amsterdam, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Islamabad, Berlin, Kiel, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Zurich, Oslo, Cologne, Vienna, The Hague, Stockholm, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Toronto, New Westminster, Reston, Düsseldorf, Tehran, Paris, London and Washington.
In some cities, Afghans took to the streets and chanted slogans against the Taliban.
Elsewhere, organisers held meetings, advocacy events, protest tents and hunger strikes.
Many of the events focused about Afghan women and girls and opposition to the normalisation of relations between governments and the Taliban.
Bonn
In Bonn, Germany, the Campaign Against Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan held a rally outside the United Nations office and issued a resolution at the end of the event.
The resolution called on the United Nations and the international community to recognise and criminalise gender apartheid, halt efforts to legitimise the Taliban and ensure that the voices of Afghan women, victims, protesters, civil society and democratic forces are included in international decision-making.
Several Afghans also held a protest outside the UN office in Bonn to mark the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power.
Geneva
In Geneva, Switzerland, a gathering in support of Afghan women and girls was held outside the United Nations office.
Organisers said the event aimed to keep Afghan women’s voices alive, draw international attention to the human rights situation and emphasise the rights, freedom, equality and human dignity of women and girls.
Berlin
In Berlin, protest activities continued for several days.
Organisers set up a protest tent and held a voluntary hunger strike, with the programme concluding on 15 August with a final gathering near the Brandenburg Gate.
They said the events were intended to support human dignity, freedom, equality and human rights in Afghanistan.
Munich
In Munich, Afghan activists, academics, human rights defenders, political figures, artists and members of the public gathered at Bellevue di Monaco.
Women joining live from Afghanistan and Pakistan also spoke about the restrictions, concerns and experiences they face.
Human rights, the situation of women and girls, education, the economy, migration, asylum and the role of Germany and the European Union towards Afghanistan were among the subjects discussed.
The final resolution said that education, employment, freedom and human dignity were fundamental rights.
Organisers also called for any political engagement with the Taliban to take account of the human rights situation and not lead to the normalisation of violations against the Afghan people.
Kiel
In Kiel, Germany, a protest titled Voice of the Unseen was followed by a cultural programme.
The Schleswig-Holstein Refugee Council also called for an end to deportations to Afghanistan and greater protection for Afghans at risk.
Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, several organisations held demonstrations marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s entry into Kabul.
Protesters called on the Netherlands and the European Union not to legitimise the Taliban and to prioritise the rights of Afghan women.
Images of the gathering in Dam Square were also published.
Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao
Events were held in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao in Spain.
In Madrid, Afghan women, refugees and feminist groups gathered in Puerta del Sol.
Protesters also called on the international community to take action in support of Afghan women’s rights.
Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao were among the cities participating in a coordinated international campaign for 15 August, centred on opposition to gender apartheid and the legitimisation of the Taliban.
Toronto
In Toronto, protesters gathered at Queen’s Park.
Participants stressed women’s right to education and employment and called on Canada not to recognise the Taliban.
The Afghan community in Toronto also issued a resolution calling for an end to gender apartheid, opposition to normalising relations with the Taliban, guarantees for the rights of women and girls, freedom of expression and the media, support for refugees and independent investigations into human rights violations.
Islamabad
In Islamabad, several Afghan women’s protest movements, organisations and human rights groups held a joint event.
Participants chanted slogans against the Taliban, emphasised women’s right to education, employment and freedom, and said women’s civil struggle for freedom, justice and equality would continue.
Hamburg
In Hamburg, Afghan migrants and civil society activists held a demonstration marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power and condemned the group’s rule and violations of the rights and freedoms of Afghans.
Participants also criticised the German government’s policy towards the Taliban and the deportation of refugees to Afghanistan, calling for stronger support for women’s rights, civil liberties and the Afghan population.
A conference titled Five Years of Taliban Rule: The Current Situation, Germany’s Afghanistan Policy and the Resistance of Hamburg’s Afghan Community was also held at Hamburg City Hall.
Representatives of the Afghan community, civil society activists and guests discussed Afghanistan’s political, social and humanitarian situation after five years of Taliban rule, Germany’s Afghanistan policy and the issue of deportations.
Engagement with the Taliban and the consequences of such policies were also among the main topics.
Frankfurt
In Frankfurt, Afghan citizens and activists marked the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power by describing 15 August as a black day in Afghanistan’s history.
Protesters chanted slogans including “No to the Taliban”, “Do not recognise the Taliban” and “Education, work, freedom”.
Participants called on the international community to support the fundamental rights of Afghans, particularly women’s and girls’ rights to education and employment, civil liberties and human rights.
They urged governments and international organisations not to recognise the Taliban without respect for the rights of the Afghan people.
Oslo
Several events related to the fifth anniversary were also held in Oslo.
At one event, protesters marched from the Afghan embassy towards the Norwegian parliament.
Organisers stressed their support for Afghan women’s struggle.
Another gathering titled “From Advocacy to Accountability” focused on justice, accountability, cooperation among human rights defenders and the future of advocacy for Afghanistan.
The event was organised by Dialogue Hub for Common Ground and the Women’s Justice Movement.
New Westminster
In New Westminster, Canada, an event titled Fresh Wound: From Remembrance to Action was held.
Expert speeches, a panel discussion, protest music and theatre were among the activities, while human rights, gender apartheid, cultural genocide and the future of civil activism were discussed.
Cologne
In Cologne, Germany, a gathering titled Five Years of Taliban Rule was held at Heumarkt square.
Organisers, including Afghanistan Is Not Safe Cologne and Bonn, Anar Academy, Amnesty International Cologne and Mosaik Köln-Mülheim, expressed solidarity with Afghan women and girls and protested the human rights situation after five years of Taliban rule.
Reston
In Reston, Virginia, an event titled Afghanistan, Five Years After the Fall was held on 15 August at the North County Governmental Center.
The event aimed to remember victims, amplify the voices of Afghan women, refugees and separated families, and discuss Afghanistan’s future.
It was scheduled from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Related events marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power were also held in Stuttgart, Helsinki, Zurich, Vienna, The Hague, Stockholm and Düsseldorf.
A ‘Victory Day’ for the Taliban and a ‘Black Day’ for Opponents
On 15 August 2021, as US and NATO forces were withdrawing, the Taliban entered Kabul following the collapse of the republic and returned to power in Afghanistan.
Then-president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country the same day, and the Taliban took control of the capital without widespread resistance.
The Taliban has since marked 15 August as “Victory Day” or “Day of Conquest”, describing it as the end of what it calls the “occupation” of Afghanistan, and holds annual ceremonies and speeches by its officials.
By contrast, many Taliban opponents, civil society activists, human rights defenders and Afghan citizens describe the date as a “black day” and organise protests in different countries.
Five years after the Taliban’s return, its government remains unrecognised by every country except Russia.
Since returning to power, the Taliban has imposed sweeping restrictions on the lives of Afghans, particularly affecting women and girls in education, employment and participation in public life.
