A group of beauticians took to the streets in downtown Kabul on Wednesday to protest the Taliban's ban on beauty salons, local media reported.
Videos shared online show dozens of women carrying placards reading "food", "justice," and "work." In one video, a woman is seen confronting a Taliban security guard. In another, a Taliban guard is trying to disperse the protesters with water cannon. Gunfire can be heard in the background.
A protesting make-up artist estimated that around 200 women were present at the beginning of the protest in the Shar-e-Naw area.
"We wanted our right to work and the cancellation of the order," the artist told dpa. "But the Taliban responded with water cannons and aerial firings and took away a few girls."
The Taliban authorities have ordered Afghanistan's hair and beauty salons to close by July 25, without providing clear justification.
The Taliban returned to power with the collapse of the former Afghan government amidst the chaotic withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021. The militants reimposed strict laws and regulations, including banning girls and women from accessing school classes beyond grade six.
Women cannot travel long distances without a male chaperone and cannot work in most government offices. Most recently, women were banned from working with international organizations, including the United Nations.
Despite repeated calls by Afghans and the international community to lift the ban, Afghanistan's new rulers - who are desperate for international recognition - refuse to do so.
