A Gen Z-led protest against government corruption and the recent social media ban in Nepal turned violent on Monday, resulting in the death of a protester and multiple injuries, particularly in Kathmandu’s New Baneshwor and Damak in Jhapa district. In New Baneshwor, a demonstrator reportedly succumbed to gunshot wounds while being treated at Civil Hospital, while in Damak, police used water cannons, teargas, and rubber bullets after protesters attempted to breach the municipal office, burn an effigy of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and set motorcycles ablaze.
Several journalists covering the unrest, including Dipendra Dhungana, Umesh Karki, and Shyam Shrestha, were also injured during clashes. The Nepali Army was deployed, and curfews were extended in high-security zones around government and presidential residences to contain escalating tensions.
The protests were fueled by public outrage over the government’s shutdown of 26 unregistered social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Snapchat, which young Nepalis claim suppress free expression while failing to address corruption. The demonstrations, initially peaceful, escalated as protesters entered restricted zones near Parliament, prompting a strong police response.
Prominent Nepali artists and entertainers, such as Hari Bansha Acharya and Prakash Saput, publicly supported the movement, encouraging youth activism and providing assistance to demonstrators. The ban followed government warnings and a Supreme Court ruling requiring social media platforms to register and pay taxes, though the related bill has not yet passed Parliament.
Authorities in Rupandehi and Sunsari districts have imposed curfews in Butwal, Bhairahawa, and Itahari after ‘Gen Z’ protests escalated.
Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday, taking responsibility for the deaths of 19 people and injuries to more than 400 during the violent “Gen Z” protests against the government’s social media ban and corruption. According to The Kathmandu Post, he handed in his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during a Cabinet meeting at Oli’s Baluwatar residence.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and called for early elections, saying the government has lost its legitimacy after the violent crackdown on “Gen Z” protests.
RSP General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti criticized the government’s handling of the protests, which left 19 people dead and hundreds injured in Kathmandu and Itahari, after police opened fire on demonstrators.
At least 19 people died and many were injured as thousands of young people protested in major cities across Nepal. In Kathmandu, protesters broke through a barricade and entered the parliament, even setting fire to an ambulance.
At least 14 people have been declared dead and over 50 were injured in Nepal’s capital on Monday after security forces clashed with protesters condemning a government crackdown on social media and alleged corruption, according to state television.
Police used tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets when protesters tried to storm parliament. The violence also spread to other cities, including Biratnagar, Bharatpur, and Pokhara.
14 people have been killed in Nepal after security forces clashed with Gen Z protestors over a countrywide social media ban, AFP reports.
Nepal protests over social media ban leave at least 10 dead, police tell AFP
At least eight young men lost their lives and several others were injured on Monday after police fired tear gas to disperse a Gen Z-led crowd that stormed Nepal’s parliament in Kathmandu, protesting against the government’s social media ban and alleged corruption.
Authorities have so far confirmed eight fatalities, while the exact number of injured remains unclear. Many of the wounded, some in critical condition, were caught in the violence as demonstrators filled the streets of New Baneshwor.
A Gen Z-led protest against government corruption and the recent social media ban in Nepal turned violent on Monday, resulting in the death of a protester and multiple injuries, particularly in Kathmandu’s New Baneshwor and Damak in Jhapa district. In New Baneshwor, a demonstrator reportedly succumbed to gunshot wounds while being treated at Civil Hospital, while in Damak, police used water cannons, teargas, and rubber bullets after protesters attempted to breach the municipal office, burn an effigy of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and set motorcycles ablaze.
Several journalists covering the unrest, including Dipendra Dhungana, Umesh Karki, and Shyam Shrestha, were also injured during clashes. The Nepali Army was deployed, and curfews were extended in high-security zones around government and presidential residences to contain escalating tensions.
The protests were fueled by public outrage over the government’s shutdown of 26 unregistered social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Snapchat, which young Nepalis claim suppress free expression while failing to address corruption. The demonstrations, initially peaceful, escalated as protesters entered restricted zones near Parliament, prompting a strong police response.
Prominent Nepali artists and entertainers, such as Hari Bansha Acharya and Prakash Saput, publicly supported the movement, encouraging youth activism and providing assistance to demonstrators. The ban followed government warnings and a Supreme Court ruling requiring social media platforms to register and pay taxes, though the related bill has not yet passed Parliament.
