Anti-king protests shut Nepal capital

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of five Nepali political parties have burned tyres, torched vehicles and
shut down the capital to protest against a crackdown at an anti-king rally in which more than 100 people were injured.

Organisers said the protesters had gathered on the streets of Kathmandu on Saturday to enforce a day-long general strike
after police fired teargas and rubber bullets to break up the rally against King Gyanendra on Friday.

"We will organise protest rallies across the country to press for our demand," Subash Chandra Nemwang, a member of the
Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party, one of the five groups, told Reuters.

Riot police kept a close watch over Saturday's rally but did not interfere as protesters set on fire vehicles belonging to people
who defied their call to strike. No major injuries were reported.

The Congress party and four other groups that controlled 194 seats in the 205-member parliament dissolved by the king in
2002 have launched the biggest anti-monarchy protests in more than a decade, demanding he sacks the royalist government
and names an all-party national unity cabinet.