About 500 women were arrested Sunday by the Nepal police, as they were beginning their march against China’s actions in Tibet.

“Of the 559 arrested, 535 were women and 24 were men, and included monks and nuns,” officer Sarbendra Khanal said, according to CNN International.

Activists said that the protesters were arrested from around the royal palace in Kathmandu while they were gathering for a peaceful rally. It was expected that they be released in that same evening.

Police said that they were arrested for wearing head bans that read “Free Tibet” and carrying the Tibetan flag. Nepal is very strict in controlling any anti-China actions that may occur on its territory and claims that Tibet is part of China.

The protests of the Tibetan exiles outside the Chinese embassy and U.N. offices began nearly two months ago. The protesters requested that human rights in Tibet are respected and also, a U.N. investigation into the deaths of some protesters in Tibet should start. Because Nepal is in friendly relations with China and it will not allow any demonstration or protest to take place, as their activity over the past two months has shown.

Nepal’s policy towards the protesters has been criticized by the United Nations and international rights groups, saying that they used excessive force to stop the protests, most of which were peaceful. Reportedly, police have beaten people with batons and dragged them through the streets while detaining them.

Nepal is the home of about 20,000 Tibetans who fled their homeland, complaining of Chinese human rights abuses and lack of religious freedom.