Demonstrators rallied against the rape of a 23-year-old woman that occurred on a bus last Sunday. (saroz/Creative Commons)

The demonstration was sparked by public outrage over the gang-rape and beating of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in the capital last Sunday. The woman's injuries were so severe she spent days in intensive care in a city hospital, fighting for her life.

Up to 35 protesters and nearly 40 police officers were injured, New Delhi's police spokesman said.

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"Hang them till death," read the placard of one protester seeking capital punishment for rape suspects.

"Stop this shame," read another. A third said, "Give them the same physical torture."

Shouts of "We want justice" also rose above the large and diverse crowd, symbolizing a widely felt anger over attacks against women. Banners proclaiming the same message were marked with a hangman's noose.

One young woman protester, who said her leg was injured by a blow from a police baton, lamented what she called a failure of democracy in the country.

"Today, I have seen democracy dying," she said.

Saturday's protest was the latest of several held across India over the past week. Official data shows that rape cases have jumped about 875 percent over the past 40 years, from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011.

Read the full story at CNN. Find more Neon Tommy coverage of India here.

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