Nepal demonstrators teargassed

KATHMANDU – Police fired tear gas at and baton-charged hundreds of demonstrators yesterday in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu after they shouted slogans against King Gyanendra in the fourth day of protests against the monarchy.

The pro-democracy demonstrators thronged Kathmandu’s commercial heart, yelling, “Please Gyanendra – leave the country!” Police fired tear gas at the demonstrators and baton-charged them as the protesters pelted the police with stones. Kathmandu has seen four days of battles between protesters and police breaking up demonstrations against Gyanendra, who sacked the government last February in what he said was a bid to quell a deadly Maoist insurgency.Shops swiftly downed their shutters while police blocked one end of a road to stop the demonstrators reaching more central areas of the city.The latest clash came after authorities lifted a ban on protests and a week-old night curfew in the capital.A mobile phone blackout was also partially eased as the royal government called for dialogue with opposition parties following a four-day crackdown that resulted in hundreds of arrests.Student groups and opposition parties, however, pledged to continue their protests, including the staging of the rally here yesterday and a nationwide strike Thursday.- Nampa-AFPKathmandu has seen four days of battles between protesters and police breaking up demonstrations against Gyanendra, who sacked the government last February in what he said was a bid to quell a deadly Maoist insurgency.Shops swiftly downed their shutters while police blocked one end of a road to stop the demonstrators reaching more central areas of the city.The latest clash came after authorities lifted a ban on protests and a week-old night curfew in the capital.A mobile phone blackout was also partially eased as the royal government called for dialogue with opposition parties following a four-day crackdown that resulted in hundreds of arrests.Student groups and opposition parties, however, pledged to continue their protests, including the staging of the rally here yesterday and a nationwide strike Thursday.- Nampa-AFP