Pro-democracy activists vowed to hold a mass rally yesterday in Kathmandu despite the royal government's ban on demonstrations in Nepal's capital, as protests escalated against King Gyanendra's rule.
Protesters planned to march from several points and converge in the center of Kathmandu for a mass protest rally, said Subash Nemwang of the Communist Party of Nepal, a member of a seven-party alliance that is demanding that the king restore democracy.
"We will defy the curfew and all restrictions imposed by this regime and we will march to the heart of the capital to demand democracy," Nemwang said.
There was no immediate word from the government on whether it planned to continue a daytime curfew in the capital for a fifth day.
But officials have insisted they will not allow any rallies inside the city, and at least 29 journalists were arrested yesterday morning at a protest against the government's clampdown on the media.
More than 100 other journalists have been arrested since the latest wave of protests against Gyanendra began on April 5. However, all have since been released.
Gyanendra seized control of the government 14 months ago, saying he needed to stamp out political corruption and end an anti-monarchy communist insurgency that has left nearly 13,000 people dead in the past decade.
The royal government has imposed severe restrictions on journalists and introduced new media laws. Criticism of the king, the government and security forces has been banned, along with independent reporting on the insurgency.
On Tuesday, dozens of protesters were wounded in clashes following days of increasingly violent confrontations between security forces and protesters demanding Gyanendra give up power.
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