Protest rally in Rome; Activists demand support for Afghan women and prevent normalization of relations with the Taliban

Rome, Italy – Kabul Times News

Dozens of Afghan citizens, human rights activists, students, Italian citizens and representatives of some human rights organizations held a protest rally in Rome, the capital of Italy, to express their solidarity with Afghan women and girls.

The rally was held in Piazza Santi Apostoli, and participants chanted slogans and carried placards to protest the human rights situation in Afghanistan and the restrictions imposed on women and girls under Taliban rule.

Symbolic performances in support of Afghan women

Part of the program was dedicated to performing artistic and symbolic performances; performances that, according to the organizers, reflected the realities of the lives of Afghan women and girls in the current situation. These performances focused on issues such as deprivation of education, restrictions on employment, and the exclusion of women from many social and public spheres.

During the rally, protesters raised the slogan “Education, Work, Freedom” as the main axis of their demands and warned of the consequences of continuing restrictions on Afghan women and girls.

Call for action by the international community

The organizers of the rally issued statements calling on European governments and international institutions to refrain from any action that would normalize relations with the Taliban without improving the human rights situation.

Part of these statements stated that accepting the current situation in Afghanistan as a normal reality in international relations could mean ignoring the fundamental rights of millions of Afghan women and girls and renouncing the fundamental principles of human rights.

The participants also expressed their concern about some efforts to expand political engagement with the Taliban and called on the United Nations, the European Union, and human rights organizations to take more effective and practical measures to protect the rights of Afghan women and restore their deprived freedoms.

This rally is part of a series of protests and solidarity programs by Afghans and human rights advocates in different countries around the world, which are being held with the aim of drawing the attention of public opinion and the international community to the situation of Afghan women and girls.