Tear gas, curfews and the Gen Z uprising in Nepal. 10 key questions answered

The immediate spark was the government’s decision to ban over two dozen social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X and Reddit. Authorities accused these platforms of failing to register with Nepali regulators and of being misused for hate speech, misinformation and fraud. TikTok was the only major platform to comply and remains accessible.

What began in Kathmandu quickly spread to government offices and cities like Pokhara, Biratnagar and Bharatpur. On Monday, thousands of young protesters, many in school and college uniforms, broke police barricades and stormed the parliament complex. An ambulance was set on fire, and riot police were attacked with stones and objects. The curfew was initially imposed Kathmandu which includes the President’s residence, Shital Niwas area, Maharajgunj, the vice-president’s residence in Lainchaur, all sides of Singha Durbar, the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar, and surrounding areas.

State television reported at least 19 people killed and more than 50 injured after police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and used batons. Protesters alleged that police “fired indiscriminately,” while officials said force was used only after violence erupted. Reuters noted that it could not independently verify the casualty figures.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s administration has doubled down, insisting that national sovereignty and dignity outweigh the backlash. The Ministry of Communications said platforms were given a week to comply with new rules. Police and district officials argued stricter oversight was necessary in a country where over 90 per cent of the population is online.

For Nepal’s young, who make up the largest demographic in the country and are among the heaviest users of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the government’s decision to block over two dozen platforms cut directly into their daily lives. The demonstrations on Monday were called the protest of Gen Z, a term used to refer to people born between 1995 and 2010. With the age group of 16-25 years accounting for 20.8 per cent of total population and 90 per cent of its 30 million people using the internet, the country has become a fertile ground for a digitally native generation to mobilise online dissent into mass street protests.

TikTok stood out as the only major global platform still accessible in Nepal. Unlike its competitors, the Chinese-owned app completed the mandatory registration process within the stipulated period, agreeing to share company details with the government and accept local oversight.

Officials said this compliance ensured TikTok was not included in the ban list. The app had previously faced a nine-month suspension in 2023 over concerns of hate speech and cybercrime but was reinstated once it agreed to follow government rules.

The ban covers 26 popular sites and messaging apps. Among the most widely used platforms now inaccessible are:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• X
• Reddit
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Signal
• WeChat

Organisers of the protests are calling them "demonstrations by Gen Z". They say the protests reflect young people's widespread frustration with the government and anger over its policies.  Crowds chanted “stop the ban on social media, stop corruption not social media" waving red and blue national flags.

"The police have been firing indiscriminately," one protester told news agency ANI, Reuters reported. "(They) fired bullets which missed me but hit a friend who was standing behind me. He was hit in the hand."

"This is the protest by the new generation in Nepal," another protester told ANI.

Many protestors were seen in their school and college uniforms as they swarmed New Baneshwor, which houses the Parliament, the government secretariat, and the presidential house.

The blanket blackout has disrupted businesses and Nepal’s tourism industry, which rely heavily on social media for outreach and bookings. It has also affected millions of Nepali families, many of whom use messaging apps to stay connected with relatives working abroad. The decision has sparked criticism from press freedom groups, who argue the ban amounts to censorship.

Seven people have died at the National Trauma Centre in Kathmandu and 58 wounded are admitted to the hospital, AP reported. “Many of them are in serious condition and appear to have been shot in the head and chest,” Dr Badri Risal said. Two people died at the Civil Hospital and two more at the KMC hospital, according to doctors. The injured were being treated at half a dozen hospitals in the capital.