Taliban Fires Flag-Waving Protesters, Kill Dozen

<p><em>Taliban fires  flag-waving protesters<&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> has reliably gathered that Taliban fighters have killed many of its citizens in Afghanistan who embarked on protests&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Some of the aggrieved citizens have carried Afghan flags as they take part in anti- Taliban protests in Jalalabad on Wednesday&comma; August 18&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;By Thursday&comma; August 19&comma; the protests against the Taliban&&num;8217&semi;s takeover in spread to more cities on Thursday&comma; including the capital Kabul&comma; and a witness said several people were killed when the militants fired on a crowd in Asadabad in the eastern province of Kunar&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Our flag&comma; our identity&comma;&&num;8221&semi; a crowd of men and women waving black&comma; red and green national flags shouted in Kabul&comma; a video posted on social media showed&comma; on the day Afghanistan celebrates independence from British control in 1919&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;A witness reported gunshots near the rally&comma; but they appeared to be Taliban firing into the air&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Marchers chanted &&num;8220&semi;God is greatest&&num;8221&semi;&period; At some protests elsewhere&comma; media have reported people tearing down the white flag of the Taliban&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;A Taliban spokesman was not immediately available for comment&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Some demonstrations are small&comma; but combined with a scramble by thousands of people to flee the country via Kabul airport they underline the challenge the Taliban will face to govern&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The Islamist movement conquered <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;reuters&period;com&sol;">Afghanistan<&sol;a> at lightning speed as foreign troops withdrew&comma; surprising even its leaders and leaving them to fill power vacuums in many places&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Since seizing Kabul on Sunday&comma; the Taliban have presented a more moderate face&comma; saying they want peace&comma; will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;During their previous rule from 1996-2001&comma; they severely restricted women&&num;8217&semi;s rights&comma; staged public executions and blew up ancient Buddhist statues&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;In Asadabad&comma; several people were killed during a rally&comma; but it was unclear if the casualties resulted from Taliban firing or from a stampede that it triggered&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Hundreds of people came out on the streets&comma;&&num;8221&semi; witness Mohammed Salim said&period; &&num;8220&semi;At first I was scared and didn&&num;8217&semi;t want to go but when I saw one of my neighbours joined in&comma; I took out the flag I have at home&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Several people were killed and injured in the stampede and firing by the Taliban&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Protests flared in the city of Jalalabad and a district of Paktia province&comma; also both in the east&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;On Wednesday&comma; Taliban fighters fired at protesters waving flags in Jalalabad&comma; killing three&comma; witnesses and media reported&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Salute those who carry the national flag and thus stand for the dignity of the nation&comma;&&num;8221&semi; First Vice President Amrullah Saleh&comma; who is trying to rally opposition to the Taliban&comma; said on Twitter&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Saleh said on Tuesday he was the &&num;8220&semi;legitimate caretaker president&&num;8221&semi; in Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;