Members of the Uprising for Change movement took to the streets of Kabul once again on Thursday in protest over what they say is government’s autocracy and monopolization of power. 

The movement called on the international community to stop backing the incumbent government of national unity. 

Again the group called on President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah and the national security adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar to step down. They also dismissed a recent move by government to draft a new law on protests and gatherings.

“So far government has not concentrated on any demand made by the Uprising for Change movement,” said one of the group’s members Asar Hakimi.
“Several provinces are covered in blood, Ghor, Baghlan and Kabul are examples,” said another member of Uprising for Change Angiza Habibi.

“We call on the international community, particularly the UN representative office in Kabul and embassies of friendly countries,  to concentrate on the situation and not to allow a small group to take  the government hostage and push the country towards a crisis by committing illegal actions and violence,” said another member of the group,  Ahmad Omar.

The protesters said that the present government has failed to fix the security problem in the country and said the leaders need to step down.  

“We will continue our protests if government fails to meet our demands,” said protestor Mohammad Hashim Hashimi.

In response, government has said that it will respond to the legitimate demands of the protestors.

“Those demands which are within the framework of the law and the demands which are practical, the government will think about and it is the responsibility of government,” said deputy spokesman to CEO Jawed Faisal.

Protestors who called themselves ‘Uprising for Change’ poured onto the streets of  Kabul two months ago in the wake of a deadly truck bombing in the heavily-fortified diplomatic zone of Kabul.

At the time they also demanded the resignation of government leaders.

But the protests turned violent after Afghan police opened fire on the protesters killing at least seven  and wounding over 30 others.