WASHINGTON — People with ties to Afghanistan protested at the White House Sunday for the second consecutive day following the United States's decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban's swift takeover.
Hundreds of people emotionally pleaded for the United States government to save the country from the Taliban.
"I think the message is ... 'support us,'" Sarina Frazy said. "We don't want to die. We deserve the best. We suffered a lot for 45 years, we still suffer. There is a chance to save us, please save us."
"It’s so emotional,” Frazy added. "We belong to that country and you know it’s not just losing a family member or a part of your family it’s losing your whole identity. losing the flag, losing the name.”
According to the Associated Press, President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials were stunned on Sunday by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan.
"Everything that's happening is shocking," Sabour Aram said. "We were expecting something horrible to happen but this fast no one could expect it."
Aram said he moved from Afghanistan to Northern Virginia seven years. However, his family is still in Afghanistan, with several of his family members currently being evacuated by the United States government.
"My sister is a reporter that is sponsored by the American government and she needs to be evacuated immediately and relocated to the Czech Republic, and because she is single they are taking my parents away and my parents had to leave my house and everyone behind with two hours' notice," said Aram.
Aram said he believed the Taliban would eventually come back. And blames the Afghan government for its swift seizure of the country.
“The Afghan government failed us," Aram said. "I’m more disappointed in my government than the American government because the taxpayers are tired here, they know this isn’t going to work. They relied on it to do nation-building there but it fantastically failed I would say, so I wouldn’t blame them.”