Anti-King demonstrators marching towards palace

Kathmandu, Apr 22: Defying curfew and shoot-at-sight order, over 200,000 anti-King demonstrators took to the streets.

The demonstrators have defied the eight-hour-long curfew, which began at 1200 hours local time and are marching towards Narayanhity royal palace, local reporters said.

The parties have said that more than half a million people have been participating in the demonstrations in the Kathmandu valley of 1.5 million population.

They are demanding the end of monarchy, which has crushed the civil liberties of the people for centuries.

Security forces have fired several rounds to disperse the demonstrators in various places at Kathmandu.

One person was seriously injured, when security forces fired at the tens of thousands of demonstrators marching towards Narayanhity palace from Baneshwor at Thapathali, a reporter of the Kantipur said, adding, the number of exact injured persons could not be verified as there is curfew and shoot at sight order.

Leaders of the seven parties emerged from a meeting at the residence of Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala's at Maharajgang and waved to thousands of demonstrators, who were shouting slogans against King Gyanendra.

''Continue the movement, our movement will not end until we achieve the goal,'' Koirala and other leaders told the demonstrators from his residence.

The crowd cheered and shouted ''Gyanendra leave the country, we want complete democracy.'' The parties were demanding the end of autocratic rule of King Gyanendra, who seized power in February last year, pledged to hand over executive power to the peoples representatives yesterday.

However, the parties said the announcement of the King is incomplete and they would not accept unless the House is revived and an interim government of all parties including Maoists is formed and go for constituent assembly election to decide the fate of monarchy.

Meanwhile, ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic mission met the leaders of the seven parties during the meeting of the parties.

UNI

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