Protesters clash with police in Indian capital over brutal gang-rape

Demonstrators react as police unleash water cannon during a protest calling for better  safety for women
 following the rape of a student last week, in front of the Government Secretariat and Presidential Palace
 in New Delhi on December 22, 2012

Indian police fired tear gas, batons and water cannons against protesters in the capital New Delhi as thousands demanded the death penalty for five men who raped a 23-year-old student. Some of the demonstrators sustained injuries.

Crowds of protesters attempted to make their way to the presidential mansion at Raisina Hill and then tried to break through steel barricades surrounding a high-security zone where the presidential mansion, the prime minister’s office and various ministries are located.

The protesters carried banners that read 'Save women, save India' and 'Hang the rapists.' Police cracked down on the rally after some demonstrators began to throw stones at security forces.

Television footage aired by a local TV station showed protesters chanting "We want justice" as police struggled to control the crowd, who smashed flower pots and street decorations.

The clashes come after days of protests sparked by a brutal attack on a young student. Protesters are demanding the death penalty for the five suspects, who were detained following the December 16 attack. The sixth assailant apprehended on Friday.

The violence prompted activists to demand that the government tougher measures to protect women from the daily threat of harassment and violence. General Vijay Kumar Singh, a retired Indian army chief, called for the training and arming of security forces to deal with the issue.

New Delhi, with a population of nearly 17 million people, has the highest number of reported sex crimes of all India's cities. The number of reported rape cases in the capital has risen 17 percent from 2011, to 661 this year, government figures revealed. According to police statistics, a rape is reported on average every 18 hours, and a sexual assault occurs every 14 hours in the capital.

- Rt.com