Citizens Clash with Government in Kabul, Afghanistan

Citizens angered about a massive truck bombing that occurred earlier this week have begun to rumble throughout the streets of Kabul on Friday, June 2.  This anti-government protest has declined into a violent street brawl; authorities and security forces have begun to open fire at crowds, using armored vehicles to chase demonstrators away.

According to officials, there have been at least two deaths so far—one of those killed was reported to be the son of a senior legislator.  About eight additional unconfirmed deaths were reported, along with ten others who are wounded.  This conflict lasted for several hours and caused central Kabul to be shut down.

Before noon that day, countless people united at the site of the attack, shouting chants against President Ashraf Ghani and displaying gruesome photographs from the bombing—the bombing resulted in 550 casualties, killing 100 and injuring 450 more.  Chants included violent phrases such as “Death to Ghani”, “Death to Pakistan” and “Death to America”; while burning statues of the president, the people demanded that he and his government stepped down.

This demonstration was said to have started out peacefully at first, including professionals, students and civic activists—all was well until one group of protestors reached the gates of Ghani’s palace.  Security forces at the palace said to have opened fire towards the crowd, but only shots fired in the air to warn demonstrators.  Protestors and others later claimed that these shots caused casualties.

Pamela Constable and Sharif Walid of The Washington Post say that, “Another group pelted stones at lines of riot police around the blast site.  Then army vehicles moved in, chasing protestors from the area and firing heavy barrages of shots, mostly into the air.”  With two demonstrators dead, 25 police officers were injured by the stones hurled.  Police also said that some protesters were carrying weapons, firing at officials.

The protestors demanded that prisoners from the Taliban and Haqqani network be executed, due to the organizations being responsible for many attacks.  Ghani was said to have issued orders for execution, but whether those measures were taken is unknown.  Noor Ahmed, a 41-year-old lawyer, says that “We want those who did this brutal attack to be punished.  They should hang the Taliban, use force, take revenge.  They should do whatever it takes to stop this.”

Angry about the events of the day, many have seemed to have lost faith in the country already.  One medical doctor comments, “This government cannot protect us and it is being very irresponsible.  I was working in the emergency room all day after the bombing.  There were so many victims we couldn’t count them, and we had to lay them in the garden.  How can our country go on like this?”