Major Group Clash In Kathmandu, Several Rounds Of Tear Gas And Rubber Bullets Fired
Clashes broke out in Kathmandu today between Nepalese security forces and pro-monarchy activists demanding the restoration of the monarchy and the Hindu Kingdom status. Several police personnel injured in the violence, which left the city on edge. Police fired multiple rounds of tear gas and rubber bullets to control the situation. A curfew has been imposed in Tinkune, Sinamangal, and Koteshwor areas.
The situation escalated when the protesters attempted to breach the designated security cordon, throwing stones at police. In response, security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. During the clash, protesters set fire to a business complex, a shopping mall, a political party headquarters, and a media house building, leaving over a dozen police officials injured. The pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and other groups joined the protest.
Thousands of monarchists, waving Nepal’s national flags and holding pictures of former King Gyanendra Shah, gathered in the Tinkune area, chanting slogans such as “Raja aau, desh bachau” (Let the King come to save the country), “Down with the corrupt government,” and “We want monarchy back,” as they demanded the restoration of the monarchy in Nepal.
Hundreds of riot police personnel have been deployed across Kathmandu, and several youths have been detained for defying restrictions. Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy in 2008 through a parliamentary declaration, transforming the former Hindu kingdom into a secular, federal, democratic republic. Calls for the restoration of the monarchy have resurfaced after the former king appealed for public support in a video message broadcast on Democracy Day, February 19.
