Truck driver protest in Herat met with violence

On 28 August 2024, online media outlets Zawia News and Herat Times, and Afghan journalist in exile Bilal Sarwary, posted footage on their social media channels showing a protest of several hundred cargo truck drivers in a recently constructed freight area. AW geolocated the imagery to an area on the outskirts of Guzara Village in Guzara District, Herat, less than nine kilometres from Herat International Airport. According to Zawia News and Sarwary, three protesters were wounded, with Sarwary claiming the injuries were caused by Taliban gunfire.

Reports claimed different reasons for the protests. Etilaatroz claimed that the protests were against preferential allocation of work to drivers with connections to the Taliban. According to a driver from Herat the outlet spoke with, only those with a “strong connection to the Taliban” are given loads to transport several times a month; meanwhile, those without connections are unable to get a load to transport even once a month. Afghanistan International reported that the demonstrations were against Taliban customs in Herat imposing extra costs on drivers. According to sources interviewed by Radio Azadi, however, the protests were in response to the reduction of drivers’ wages for transporting cargo. While the specifics of claims differ, it is clear that the protests were against Taliban policies perceived to impact the earnings of drivers.

Violent Taliban response to the Herat protest

The Radio Azadi report quoted two drivers, who claimed that protesters had stopped some vehicles attempting to cross the picket line, which the Taliban responded to with gunfire. According to Radio Azadi, Afghanistan International and Etilaatroz, the violence resulted in the injury of one protester. Amu TV stated that one person was injured and another killed. In separate reporting on the incident, Sarwary, Zawia Media and Zala News claimed that three people were injured when Taliban forces opened fire on the protesters. According to sources cited by 8AM Media, at least four people were injured in the incident.

Radio Azadi sources identified the wounded individual, a 20-year-old man, whom his uncle claimed had been shot in the hand and foot. Both Afghanistan International and Zawia News also published footage showing a young man at the protest being carried away with an injured hand and foot/leg. Although based on all available footage AW was able to verify the presence of armed Taliban forces at the scene of the protest, only one injured protestor could be identified at the site.

Official Taliban response to Herat protest

On 29 August 2024, 8AM Media reported that the Taliban had confirmed the use of weapons at the protest via a newsletter published by the Herat Governor’s Press Office. According to the newsletter, “abusive people” had attacked transport employees with stones and sticks, which caused the Taliban to respond by firing into the air, with the implication that the wounding of the protester was accidental. While AW observed footage showing a single stone being thrown at a building with smashed windows, none of the footage showed any physical abuse on behalf of the protesters against people, nor did they appear to be armed with sticks.

Additional truck driver protests across Afghanistan

A video uploaded by Zawia News on 29 August 2024 shows what appear to be additional truck driver protests across areas of Herat and Kandahar. In the video, speakers address groups of men in different locations, including what is alleged to be the exterior of the Kandahar Provincial Governor’s office. The speakers claim to be striking against “extortionate transport and transit fees” and “illegal taxes.” They also claim that the Taliban are giving preference to their own drivers.

A protest of truck drivers was also reported to have taken place in Kabul. A video posted by Afghanistan International on 30 August 2024 shows a group of men gathered inside a building, reportedly demonstrating against a commission set up to deal with issues brought up by truck drivers in the city. They were also complaining about increased transport fees, taxes, and extortion by the Taliban, with one driver stating: “We can not speak out. Our demand for our rights would be met with gunfire.” AW was not able to verify the location of the indoor protest.

Remarks

Claims of extortion of civilians by Taliban members is not a new phenomenon. Cargo drivers claimed to have been extorted by the group even under the former government, and the practice has reportedly continued under Taliban rule. On 1 September 2024, the Taliban Ministry of Transportation posted a statement on X, claiming the Deputy Minister for Transportation met with protesters in Herat and addressed drivers’ concerns regarding the new fare regulations. However, it is unclear whether any such action has actually been taken.

This protest is the second of three in just over four weeks in Herat; on 30 July 2024 and 5 September 2024, large scale protests of money exchangers took place in Herat City, also in response to Taliban policies that were perceived to impact livelihoods. However, such demonstrations are not without risk, as the truck drivers’ protest in Herat has shown that the Taliban have proven willing to disperse demonstrators with the use of force. It is therefore possible that further protests will be seen in the future, particularly as Afghan men have repeatedly shown a willingness to stand up against policies that affect them financially.