Taliban supporters and armed fighters gathered across Afghanistan on Saturday, August 15, to celebrate five years since the group returned to power in Kabul following the withdrawal of United States forces.
Hundreds of partisans assembled near the former American Embassy in Kabul, which has remained closed since international troops departed in August 2021. Crowds waved flags of the Islamic Emirate, played patriotic music, and performed traditional dances throughout the capital.
Mohammad Daud Rahmani, an entrepreneur from Kandahar who joined the gatherings in Kabul, said that participants felt happy and held great hope for the future of Afghanistan. Men and children paraded through the streets in cars, on motorcycles, and on pickup trucks.
Members of the Taliban security forces danced while holding live grenades, while young children wore military fatigues and carried plastic toy pistols.
In Kabul, a young boy sat inside a vehicle decorated with Taliban flags while holding an assault rifle during the street procession.
Organizers set up historical military hardware in Kabul to mark the fifth anniversary. Displays included an American Humvee abandoned during the 2021 troop withdrawal and a Russian tank representing the Soviet defeat in 1989.
In the western city of Herat, an Afghan participant carried a yellow plastic barrel fitted with electrical wires. The Taliban have long used yellow plastic barrels as a key symbol representing suicide bombers during their insurgent campaign.
Mohammad Alim, a 23-year-old resident whose father died fighting as a Taliban combatant against American and allied forces, said that he felt happy about the anniversary but also felt sad about his loss. Officials declared Saturday a national public holiday, keeping daily commercial activity quieter across other parts of Kabul.
Celebrations at the Loya Jirga
Senior officials and several hundred Taliban members convened inside the Loya Jirga tent in Kabul for a formal ceremony marking the return to power. The Loya Jirga is a traditional grand assembly hall used in Afghanistan for major political and national gatherings.
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban government, addressed the assembly from a central podium. He highlighted the fall of the previous Western-backed administration and the complete departure of foreign military forces.
Dignitaries and rank-and-file members filled the hall to hear speeches from leadership. Armed guards and supporters inside the venue applauded during the official addresses.
In Herat, young Afghan boys carrying Taliban flags traveled alongside heavily armed fighters in pickup trucks. Observers noted that young participants in the western province appeared indoctrinated as they joined the official convoys.
Parades and military displays
Taliban fighters drove motorcycles and four-wheel quad bikes through urban streets while waving flags. Columns of armed men displayed light and heavy weapons to spectators along the parade routes.
Near the Eidgah Mosque in Kabul, a military helicopter flew low over a sports parade and dropped flowers onto the gathering below. Central streets in Kabul saw crowds of fighters dancing to patriotic songs and taking photographs on their mobile phones.
Women were entirely absent from the official public celebrations across the country. Authorities permitted only male athletes to participate in the Kabul parade, as women remain banned from attending sports clubs and public athletic facilities.
During the festivities in Kabul, a woman dressed in a green chador and black face veil attempted to take selfies at the gathering. Security personnel quickly instructed her to stop posing before ordering her to leave the area.
Armed Taliban combatants lined the streets of Herat to pose for commemorative photos. Armored vehicles and military convoys moved through cities across Afghanistan to demonstrate military control five years after taking power.
Anti-American displays in Kandahar
Supporters equipped with assault rifles applauded during official gatherings in Kabul as speakers praised the defeat of foreign military forces.
In the southern city of Kandahar, young Afghans sat on the roof of a moving vehicle while carrying an effigy of former United States President Donald Trump. Demonstrators in the Taliban stronghold paraded their cars alongside military vehicles to mock the former American leader.
Heavy military convoys moved through Herat as armed fighters in uniform demonstrated force. The public displays aimed to project military strength both domestically and to international observers.
Another truck in Herat carried armed Taliban members, young boys, and a yellow plastic barrel representing suicide operations. The vehicle moved through public streets flying Islamic Emirate flags.
Demonstrations across Europe
While celebrations took place in Afghanistan, Afghan women, asylum seekers, and feminist organizations gathered at the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday, August 15. Demonstrators protested against the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls under Taliban rule and demanded international intervention to protect women's rights.
Demonstrations also took place over the weekend in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where multiple rights organizations organized rallies marking the fifth anniversary of the fall of Kabul. Protesters called on the Netherlands and the European Union to cease legitimizing the Taliban administration and to prioritize human rights for Afghan women.
