Kathmandu, April 30:

The agitation this evening outside the Singha Durbar main gate reminded many of the fall of Saddam Hussain’s statue where people used ropes to topple it. Protestors today used ropes to pull down the six hoardings carrying exhortations of King Gyanendra.

They ripped apart the the hoardings and burnt them along with tyres with petrol gleaned from passing vehicles. Television cameras and photojournalists captured the scene as protestors chanting anti-monarch slogans demanded an end to monarchy. They burnt the picture of the crown on the billboard first. “We will only stop this agitation after the House goes for election to a constituent assembly unconditionally,” said an agitator. Police remained silent spectators.

The agitators turned violent after a peaceful sit-in programme organised by the Civil Society concluded at around 4:30 pm. Prominent leaders of civil society participating in the programme were Devendra Raj Kandel, Shyam Shrestha, Bimal Aryal, Krishna Pahadi, Kapil Shrestha, Khagendra Sangraula Hari Govinda Luitel, Narahari Acharya, Dalit leaders and people with hearing disability, among others. Dalits and Janajatis also protested. Some Bhutanese refugees too were standing silently at the southern end with placards that read, “Pave way for solution urgently”.

Right after Shyam Shrestha’s speech, one Raj Kishor Baral claimed that the parties were seeking ways to give the King “safe passage”. After the youths began burning the billboards Shrestha said that the movement should continue and that “it will go on”.

He said civil society was there to keep the government warned. The new constitution should be inclusive of all Janajatis, Dalits, Madhesis and other deprived groups. Hundreds of people also organised sit-in at the southern gate of Singha Durbar for an hour.

The agitation which began at 3pm, concluded at around 7:30 pm.