Nepalese Protesters Clash with Police, Demand Restoration of Monarchy and Hindu State

Former King Gyanendra's supporters accuse the government of corruption and failed governance since the monarchy's abolition in 2008.

Tens of thousands of Nepalese protesters clashed with riot police in Kathmandu, demanding the restoration of the monarchy and the nation's former status as a Hindu state.
Protesters accused the government and political parties of corruption and failed governance since the monarchy was abolished in 2008.
Former King Gyanendra, who was forced to abandon his authoritarian rule and introduce democracy in 2006, still has some support among the people but little chance of returning to power.
The Himalayan nation was declared a secular state in 2007 by an interim constitution, but demonstrators are demanding a return to its former status as a Hindu state.
Authorities had banned protests in key areas of the city prior to the rally, but supporters of the former king came to Kathmandu from all over the country.