Afghans in Greece demonstrate for peace amid Kabul chaos

Afghans living in Greece took to the streets of the country’s capital on Saturday calling for peace after the Taliban consolidated power and amid an increasingly tumultuous security situation in Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

The demonstration made its way toward the U.S. Embassy in Athens.

Afghans who participated in the protest said they were tired of the violence in their country and called on the international community for justice and peace in the region.

“We are tired of war, we are tired of violence, we are tired of seeing dead bodies. We all came here together, we want peace from the world, we want to end this war,” one Afghan protester said, according to Reuters.

Conditions in Afghanistan rapidly destabilized over the course of a few weeks this month after the Taliban captured major cities and provincial capitals before the group overran Kabul on Aug. 15.

On Thursday, a suicide bombing conducted by ISIS-K near the Hamid Karzai International Airport killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghans. Scores of Afghans and others had rushed to the airport in recent weeks trying to flee. 

A spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command confirmed in a statement on Friday that U.S. military forces had conducted a “over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner” in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province.

During the protests in Greece Saturday, Reuters reported that some carried signs reading “Afghanistan is bleeding” and “Pray for AFG.” 

International leaders have pledged their support to help Afghans trying to leave the country. 

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Tuesday that the Group of 7 countries’ leaders had already started discussing ways to assist civilians.

“We @G7 leaders all agree that it is our moral duty to help the Afghan people & provide as much support as conditions allow. We discussed evacuations, immediate humanitarian aid, longer-term development aid and scenarios for refugees in need of protection,” the European Commission president tweeted.

We @G7 leaders all agree that it is our moral duty to help the Afghan people & provide as much support as conditions allow.

We discussed evacuations, immediate humanitarian aid, longer-term development aid and scenarios for refugees in need of protection. https://t.co/6K1IwDf6mG

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 24, 2021

However, the same sentiment has not been echoed by Greece who has set up fencing on its border with Turkey amid fears that the security threats in Afghanistan could encourage more migrant flow into the country, according to the wire service.