AFP: Afghan authorities pulled military equipment to suppress women's protests

The Afghan authorities pulled military equipment to the city of Herat, where protests raged for several days because of new restrictions on women. It is reported by AFP, France24 reports.

Local residents told the agency that since Thursday, the deployment of security forces has begun in the city, which, among other things, check the phones of passers-by.

As the AFP journalist reports, on Friday he saw military vehicles deployed throughout the city and patrolling the area, as well as armed police officers and additional checkpoints attended by intelligence agents. According to a local resident, people have abandoned plans to hold demonstrations.

"There is a suspicious private car on every street with (men) in casual clothes sitting in their cars and watching people," one of the local residents said.

Earlier, the regional Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Herat published a new list of rules for women. In particular, it includes a ban on the use of cosmetics and the obligation to wear socks and face masks. In case of non-compliance with these rules, women face detention and imprisonment.

After that, calls for protests against the new bans spread on social networks. Two witnesses told AFP that a rally organized by dozens of men was dispersed by gunfire in Herat on Tuesday. The police denied using weapons and accused the protesters of trying to "disrupt public order."

According to UN experts, at least two people were killed and more than 20 injured during the protest. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan recorded on Saturday and Sunday the arrest of at least 30 women who violated the new rules.

After coming to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban began to introduce a number of bans and restrictions in the country, including regarding the appearance of citizens. For example, all women in the country were required to wear hijabs or any other clothing that completely hides a woman's body. The country also has a ban on women from visiting a number of public places, including parks and gyms, and girls' education stops from the age of 12.