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”.

Protests are incredibly unusual in Afghanistan since the return of Taliban to power.

A photographer at the rally said he saw the security forces striking protesters and firing weapons in the direction of the crowd. “Based on what I personally witnessed, a significant number of people were injured,” he added.

Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afgha­nistan, said in a post on X he was “alarmed by (the) excessive use of force against seemingly peaceful protesters in Herat”.

A third witness said they saw dozens of people prote­sting in support of women.

People gathered at the site after a social media announcement calling for residents to “defend the rights of our sisters”.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026