Nepali police open fire on protesters marching toward royal palace

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- Nepali security opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters marching toward the royal palace Saturday in defiance of a curfew, as opposition leaders rejected the king's proposals for restoring democracy.
Police fired rubber bullets and live ammunition and beat people with bamboo batons. Red Cross officials said dozens of people were badly hurt in the clash, which occurred about three miles from the royal palace in the heart of this Himalayan nation.
"Security forces opened fire on the crowd without warning, wounding many of us," said Ganesh Shrestha, who was shot in the arm.
At nearby Norvic Hospital, injured people calling for treatment crowded the hallways. Umesh Dhakal, of the Nepalese Red Cross Society, said 243 people were injured, with 39 requiring hospitalization.
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