Five months after the signing of the 12-Point Understanding, the Democratic Alliance and the Maoist party launched an agitation against the Royal government. The first point in the 12-Point Understanding called for an end to the autocratic King's rule, through the force of the People's Movement. Building on this, civil society leaders played an important role in laying the groundwork for the mass uprising, which called for democracy and goaded the political parties into action. Accordingly, in the spring of 2006, the Democratic Alliance called a general strike demanding restoration of peace and full democracy.

Thousands of ordinary Nepalese people from different parts of Nepal joined the demonstration—including farmers, labourers, workers, teachers, students, drivers, clerks, shopkeepers, housewives, doctors and lawyers. This was despite the presence of a large posse of security personnel, who had been ordered to quell the movement with tear gas, rubber bullets and even live rounds. The people were brave and defiant, and attended rallies across the country, ignoring the curfew.

The movement was also supported by the wider international community. Many western donors had cut foreign aid on the eve of the 2006 People's Movement, in order to pressurise the King to respect human rights and democratic freedom. Both moral and financial support was extended to the People's Movement by many foreign countries, especially India.