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HERAT: Afghan men held a rare rally Tuesday in the western city of Herat over new restrictions against women, with police denying witness accounts to AFP that protesters were dispersed with live fire.
Dozens of men gathered in response to a crackdown three days earlier by the Taliban government’s morality police, who detained women not wearing the body-cloaking chador or burqa.
A 33-year-old protester said the security forces “used sticks, whips and firearms to disperse the crowd. They even fired shots into the air.” Along with other residents, he spoke on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns.
The Herat police denied that any weapons were used, accusing the demonstrators of seeking “to disturb public order”.
