Nepalese police and pro-democracy protesters clash

Police clashed with pro-democracy protesters in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu today, firing tear gas and beating activists with batons just hours after authorities lifted a ban on demonstrations in the Himalayan kingdom’s capital.

The protest was organised by an alliance of Nepal’s seven largest political parties, which is demanding that King Gyanendra hand back the power he seized last February and restore democracy.

But demonstrators had only begun to gather this afternoon – shouting slogans calling for democracy – when the police came at them. Tear gas smoke quickly filled the crowded streets around a shopping area some two miles from the heavily guarded presidential palace complex.

At least one student leader was seriously hurt after being hit on the head by a baton. He was taken away to a hospital. At least eight protesters were arrested.

Nepalese authorities had lifted the protest ban in the capital earlier in the day after successfully heading off a mass rally a few days ago.

Last week, the royalist government banned rallies, jailed activists, imposed a night curfew and severed mobile phone connections to quash plans for a Friday anti-government rally that organisers had hoped would draw hundreds of thousands.

That rally failed to materialise, and another one Saturday drew only a few thousand activists.

By late yesterday, the government announced that the security situation had improved enough to lift the restrictions, including the rally ban in the capital. Demonstrations in high security areas, such as near the palace and ministry buildings, remained banned.

The seven-party alliance also wants the government to stop planned municipal elections on February 8 and are boycotting the polls, saying participation in the coming elections would legitimise the king’s power grab.

The government, however, says it has no plans to comply with opposition demand and would go ahead with the polls.

“The government is not thinking of postponing the elections. The security situation has improved,” said Home Minister Kamal Thapa, speaking before the clash.

Khadga Prasad Oli of the Communist Party of Nepal said there “is no alternative for the government than to postpone the so-called elections.”

“We will not rest until the government stops election plans, and the king return the powers he took back to the people,” he said.

Oli was one of a handful of political leaders placed under house arrest last week to deter demonstrations. They were freed on Sunday.

The government says the municipal elections – the first step in restoring democracy – will be followed by parliamentary elections within a couple of years. No date has been set.

Nepal’s communist rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, want to replace Nepal’s constitutional monarchy with a socialist government.