Police in Nepal have detained more than 20 demonstrators who were demanding the restoration of democracy in the Himalayan nation.
Some 200 human rights activists, lawyers, journalists and professors rallied in the capital, Kathmandu, Monday chanting slogans against King Gyanendra, who seized absolute power on February 1.
Witnesses say a line of police officers blocked the protesters from entering a restricted zone, and when they tried to force their way through, police arrested about two dozen of them.
Student groups and political parties are among a number of organizations that have held protests against the king's move.
The king says he needed to seize full political power to curb corruption and quell a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 11,500 lives.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.