Thousands of protesters rally outside Downing Street and take over Oxford Circus and Hyde Park in demonstration against UK government's shambolic handling of Afghanistan crisis and Taliban rule
Thousands of protestors have descended on central London today to demonstrate against Britain's response to the Afghanistan crisis.
Marchers rallied outside Downing Street and took over Oxford Circus and Hyde Park as they criticised the government's handling of the Taliban seizing the Middle East nation.
Men and women let off green and red flares in the street, waved the country's flag and held up huge banners during the protest.
The Taliban launched their final assault on Kabul on Sunday and seized power after President Ashraf Ghani fled to Dubai, reportedly with a wad of cash and luxury cars.
The West's immediate response has been widely criticised as it evacuates citizens but largely leaves Afghans in the hands of the brutal Islamists.
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Thousands of protestors have today descended on central London to demonstrate against Britain's response to the Afghanistan crisis
Marchers rallied outside Downing Street and took over Oxford Circus and Hyde Park as they criticised the government's handling of the Taliban seizing the Middle East nation
Marchers rallied outside Downing Street and took over Oxford Circus and Hyde Park as they criticised the government's handling of the Taliban seizing the Middle East nation
Men and women let off green and red flares in the street, waved the country's flag and held up huge banners during the protest
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The Taliban launched their final assault on Kabul on Sunday and seized power after President Ashraf Ghani fled to Dubai, reportedly with a wad of cash and luxury cars
The West's immediate response has been widely criticised as it evacuates citizens but largely leaves Afghans in the hands of the brutal Islamists
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Protesters today braved the rain as they took to central London to call for Britain to do more to help stranded civilians and stand up to the terror group.
They walked down the road in a blur of red and green - two of the colours in the Afghanistan flag - after setting off flares.
One banner said: 'Stop oppression of Afghan women.' Another read: 'Talib has not changed.' While one more added: 'We want peace.' The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment.
Nato countries have been flying their citizens out of Afghanistan this week and it is believed 12,000 have so far been rescued.
But there have been raised eyebrows about the approach to Afghan civilians, with the criteria to get on an evacuation plane being widely questioned.
Protesters wielded numerous banners, one of which read 'We Want Peace'. Another said: 'Stop killing Afghans'
Members of the public gather in Parliament Square in show of solidarity with Afghanistan
Pictured near Downing Street, the protesters called for an end to the bloodshed in Afghanistan as evacuations continued from Kabul airport
A woman waves an Afghan flag from a car window as protestors march in solidarity with the people of Afganistan
As they marched through Central London, another protesters held a poster which simply read: 'Afghanistan is bleeding'
Some of those who gathered also wielded coloured smoke grenades which let off plumes of red and green into the air
Protesters today braved the rain as they took to central London to call for Britain to do more to help stranded civilians and stand up to the terror group
They walked down the road in a blur of red and green - two of the colours in the Afghanistan flag - after setting off flares
One banner said: 'Stop oppression of Afghan women.' Another read: 'Talib has not changed.' While one more added: 'We want peace.' The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment
Nato countries have been flying their citizens out of Afghanistan this week and it is believed 12,000 have so far been rescued
But there have been raised eyebrows about the approach to Afghan civilians, with the criteria to get on an evacuation plane being widely questioned
Protesters are seen marching through London today amid the evacuation crisis in Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover
Several protesters wore bandanas on their heads which were in the colours of the Afghan flag. Behind, a bus is seen amid the throng of people
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Dominic Raab last night refused to apologise for failing to make a crucial phone call while he was on holiday to seek help for Afghan translators.
Boris Johnson insisted yesterday he 'absolutely' had full confidence in the Foreign Secretary as the Government mounted a frantic operation to shore up his precarious position.
But in an another damaging development last night, it emerged that Mr Raab did not call any of his foreign counterparts in the days leading up to the Taliban's seizure of Kabul.
The Foreign Office had insisted he did not speak to the Afghan foreign minister last Friday – despite advice from senior officials – because he was 'engaged on a range of other calls'.
But it is understood he just spoke to British officials and fellow ministers in the week before the Taliban took Kabul.
Mr Raab, who was staying at a luxury beach resort in Crete, only started making calls to his foreign counterparts on the Sunday afternoon once the insurgents had entered the Afghan capital. The Foreign Office last night declined to comment.
This woman was seen wiping away tears in London today as she joined those who were protesting at the Government's response to the crisis in Afghanistan
Afghanistan protest march passes down Whitehall asking for an end to the 'proxy war', support for women who are stuck there and against the rule by the Taliban
One man was seen being carried on another's shoulders as he carried the Afghan flag in Central London this afternoon
The men and women wound their way down Oxford Street and also carried out a rally outside the gates of Downing Street
One banner being held aloft by the protesters warned that the situation in Afghanistan could lead to 'world wars'
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The Mail revealed on Thursday that Mr Raab had been advised by senior officials to call Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar to help get Afghan translators out of the country.
But he failed to do this and the call was delegated to the on-duty minister Lord Goldsmith. The Daily Mail then revealed yesterday that the call in fact never actually took place.
Mr Raab said yesterday that ministers had been 'working tirelessly' over the past week to evacuate British nationals and Afghans.
In his first full statement on the affair, he confirmed he had been advised to contact Mr Atmar last Friday but said the 'call was delegated to a minister of state because I was prioritising security and capacity at the airport'.
'In any event, the Afghan foreign minister agreed to take the call, but was unable to because of the rapidly deteriorating situation,' he added.
But last night the Foreign Secretary faced fresh criticism for failing to apologise or include any hint of contrition in his statement.
Dominic Raab last night refused to apologise for failing to make a crucial phone call while he was on holiday to seek help for Afghan translators
Boris Johnson insisted yesterday he 'absolutely' had full confidence in the Foreign Secretary as the Government mounted a frantic operation to shore up his precarious position
But in an another damaging development last night, it emerged that Mr Raab did not call any of his foreign counterparts in the days leading up to the Taliban 's seizure of Kabul
The Mail revealed on Thursday that Mr Raab had been advised by senior officials to call Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar to help get Afghan translators out of the country
A protestor has her face painted in show of solidarity with Afghanistan
Protesters display a giant Afghan flag as they demonstrate in solidarity with the people of Afganistan in Parliament Square
Protest march for Afghanistan in London, 'Stop Killing Afghans'
Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'There is no defence for Dominic Raab's shameful negligence and his failure to act may have cost lives. It is unbelievable that even now the Foreign Secretary is wasting time making excuses when a catastrophe is still unfolding in front of our eyes.'
Earlier, Lord Robertson, who was Nato secretary general on 9/11, accused Mr Raab of 'a dereliction of duty of major consequence'. Asked if the Foreign Secretary's statement had satisfactorily answered questions about his actions, the former defence secretary replied: 'No, it doesn't at all.'
He told BBC Radio 4's World At One: 'Foreign ministers only talk to foreign ministers – they don't talk to junior ministers.
'So he should have been talking to the foreign minister of Afghanistan much earlier than last Friday anyway.
'Common sense would have suggested that the Foreign Secretary should have been trying to sort out the exit of our vulnerable people before that.'
The former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw said he would never delegate a call with his Afghan counterpart to another minister and he was 'surprised' that Mr Raab did so.
But the Prime Minister last night dismissed calls to sack his Foreign Secretary. Asked if he had full confidence in Mr Raab, Mr Johnson said: 'Absolutely.'
Asked if people had been left in Afghanistan as a result of Mr Raab not making the phone call, he said: 'No, I don't think that's the case.'
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