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4 Dead as Kabul Protesters Clash with Police over Deadly Bombing | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Afghan security forces use water canons to disperse protesters during clashes at a protest against the government following a catastrophic truck bomb attack near Zanbaq Square in Kabul on June 2, 2017. WAKIL KOHSAR / AFP


At least four people were killed on Friday when Afghan police fired live rounds to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing protesters seeking to march on the presidential palace to demand the government’s resignation following this week’s devastating truck-bomb attack.

Demonstrators calling for President Ashraf Ghani to step down and chanting “Death to the Taliban” clashed with police near Wednesday’s bombing site, prompting officials to respond with live rounds, tear gas and water cannon as some protesters tried to overrun a security cordon.

By mid-afternoon, an official at the city’s Italian-run Emergency Hospital said at least four people had been killed and “several” wounded.

Public anger has mounted after Wednesday’s brazen attack that killed 90 people and wounded hundreds.

Angry citizens have demanded answers from the government over the perceived intelligence failure leading to the assault, which underscores spiraling insecurity in Afghanistan.

“Our brothers and sisters were martyred in the bloody attack on Wednesday, and our leaders are doing nothing to stop this carnage,” Rahila Jafari, a civil society activist, said during the protest.

“We want justice, we want the perpetrators of the attack to be hanged to death.”

As well as attacking the government, some protesters demanded that Ghani execute prisoners from the Taliban-allied Haqqani network, which intelligence officials blame for the attack.

“Until we do that, we won’t have peace. The only way to get security is to punish criminals,” said another protester, Asadullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name.