Fearless Afghan Women Stand Up To Taliban Gunmen, Say Desperate To Protect Basic Rights [WATCH]

After the Taliban announced a new government Tuesday, hundreds of protestors, including a large number of women, took to the street to demand basic human rights and freedom of expression.

The Taliban's new government was a clear indication that women will not hold senior positions in the regime despite tall claims of maintaining women’s rights.

Photographs and videos from the protests have gone viral on social media. One woman was seen bravely facing off a Taliban fighter pointing a gun at her. In another video, women were seen walking the streets of Kabul, chanting anti-Pakistan slogans. Some protestors were seen being beaten up by Taliban fighters with what appears to be metal rods.

"These people (the Taliban) are very unjust, and they are not human at all," said one protestor, reported Reuters. "They do not give us the right to demonstrate; they are not Muslims but infidels."

On Sept. 2, women took to the streets of Herat to demand equal rights under the Taliban. It later spread to Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. On Sept. 4, women gathered in front of the presidential palace under Taliban control with banners to demand equality. Several protestors were stopped and beaten in Kabul, reported Human Rights Watch.

During Tuesday’s protest, men joined women, who had been protesting since last week to denounce Pakistan’s involvement and chanting anti-Pakistan slogans, as many believe the neighboring country has been providing support to the Taliban. Pakistan has denied any involvement, reported BBC.

Constant protests against the Taliban, which captured the country a month ago, pose a challenge to the new regime. Meanwhile, the U.S. has expressed concerns about some people named in the government because of their past track record, reported Al Jazeera.

A former government official told BBC that the Taliban is taking close-up photographs of protestors, which will probably be used to identify them later.

"Women have to come out to save our jobs and status in society. It is really now or never situation," Dariya Imani, a student at a business school at Herat University told Reuters. "We are not brave, we are just desperate to protect our basic rights."