Nepali police detained about 700 anti-king protesters including a former prime minister on Thursday in a crackdown on banned pro-democracy rallies. The government outlawed public gatherings of five or more people in Kathmandu last week after mainstream political parties stepped up protests against King Gyanendra, demanding he fire a royalist cabinet and appoint a multi-party government. But the ban has not stopped the protests. "Down with absolute monarchy," shouted activists as they waved flags, some with communist hammer and sickle signs.
| These are the less goofy but equally bloodthirsty communists; the Maoists are in the countryside. |
Although absolute monarchy was officially ended in 1990, King Gyanendra effectively holds all power. He replaced an elected prime minister with his own appointee in 2002 and delayed polls due that year. The king said last month he hoped elections could be held by April next year but analysts say a fair vote is impossible without a multi-party government and peace with the Maoists fighting to replace the monarchy with a communist state. The street protests are the latest crisis to hit the impoverished country. "We'll shed blood for democracy," said Janu Ghimire, as she joined protesters shielding former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and other rally leaders. "Is this democracy?" she asked. "Why can't five people meet together?" Police set up a barbed wire barricade on a road leading to the king's sprawling palace and Koirala was hauled into a van as he led about 1,000 protesters from a lane into a street close to the palace. Koirala's centrist Nepali Congress party is one of five parties behind the protests against the monarchy. |