200,000 attend rally in Nepalese capital

TENS of thousands of communist rebels and their supporters held their first big rally in the Nepalese capital in recent years yesterday, waving red flags and yelling slogans against King Gyanendra.

An estimated 200,000 people packed the Martyrs grounds in the centre of Kathmandu and surrounding streets, chanting: “Get rid of the royal regime. We want a republic state.”

They had marched from six different points on the outskirts of the capital and merged at the grounds.