On May 1, Nepal was entirely shut down by huge demonstrations called by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) to call for the resignation of the unpopular government. In Kathmandu, at least 500,000 marched — the streets a sea of red flags.
The Maoists are calling for the replacement by a “national unity” government headed by the UCPN-M, which easily won the largest number of seats on the constituent assembly elections in 2008. The army chiefs and political elite removed the UCPN-M-led government a year ago in a “soft coup”.
Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist
On May 1 in Kathmandu, between 500,000-1 million people took over the streets in a dramatic show of force by Nepal’s Maoists to demand a return to civilian rule and a democratic process of creating a new, pro-people constitution. With the government refusing popular demands for its resignation, an indefinite general strike has been called from May 2 in what the Maoists are calling a “final push” to resolve the struggle for power between the poor majority and Nepal’s elite.

