KATHMANDU, April 15: Nepalese police beat up pro-democracy activists with rattan canes and fired tear gas on Saturday to break up the largest anti-king protest in the capital since a campaign was launched 10 days ago.

The police charged when about 8,000 demonstrators marched into the city from a western suburb, chanting slogans against King Gyanendra and demanding the restoration of democracy.

Twelve people, including some women, were taken to hospital. Protesters threw rocks at police before scattering.

Earlier, the demonstrators sat cross-legged on the road for hours in the Kalanki suburb, shouting ‘Down with autocracy, restore democracy’, as police watched. Onlookers in nearby shops and houses cheered.

Elsewhere in the city, police with batons charged a protest by local journalists and arrested at least a dozen people, witnesses said. Several journalists were hurt, they said.

One of the movement’s leaders had vowed to step up protests but said activists would remain peaceful.

Four people have been killed and hundreds hurt since an alliance of seven political parties launched a general strike 10 days ago, bringing the country to a standstill.

King Gyanendra, who sacked the government and seized absolute power 14 months ago, repeated promises in a Nepali New Year message on Friday to hold elections by April next year. But he did not respond to demands to let a representative government take charge and end a crackdown on political parties.

Amrit Kumar Bohra of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), who is wanted by police, said anger against the king had mounted after his New Year message.

“We will further intensify our strike,” he told Reuters at a hideout in the capital.—Reuters