Nepal Gen Z Protest Highlights: Gen-Z proposes ex-chief justice Sushila Karki as interim PM

Authorities have issued an alert along the India-Nepal border due to ongoing protests in Nepal, with India's border guarding force, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), intensifying vigilance to prevent any spillover of unrest into Indian territory, according to ANI .

"An alert has been issued on the India-Nepal border, considering a protest in Nepal. Sashastra Seema Bal is keeping a close watch on the development," officials told ANI.

The officials emphasised that the current alert is "preventive in nature", and the situation remains under control.

According to officials, adequate deployment is in place at the border, and strict checks have been implemented at several border outposts. Coordination with the local administration has also been intensified to ensure the smooth movement of people while maintaining security.

Thousands of young people, being termed ‘Gen Z protesters’, had gathered outside Parliament against the government’s ban on several social media platforms, with many in their school uniforms. Some entered the Parliament complex, after which the police baton-charged them. Large parts of Kathmandu are now under curfew.

This was the first time the youth of Nepal, the ‘GenZ’, mobilised on the streets like this. Organisers asked political parties and their youth wings to stay away. Read More

Hospitals in Kathmandu treating injured protesters from Monday's demonstrations are facing an alarming rise in blood demand, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The Central Blood Transfusion Service, or blood bank, supplied over 200 pints of blood to National Trauma Centre and Bir Hospital by Monday evening, with continuous requests pouring in from healthcare facilities treating the injured.

At least 19 people have been killed and dozens of others have been injured in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, on Monday as thousands of protesters, mostly youngsters, also known as Gen Z, took the streets against a social media shutdown and government corruption.

Last week, Nepal blocked 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, after they failed to comply with a government order mandating them to have a local contact, a grievance handler, and a person responsible for self-regulation and more. Read More

Nepal’s capital witnessed its deadliest unrest in years as thousands of young protesters clashed with police outside the parliament in Kathmandu on Monday.

At least 19 people were killed and over 50 injured after security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and baton-charged demonstrators who had broken police barricades and stormed the parliament complex protesting a social media ban in the mountainous nation. Read More

The Rupandehi and Sunsari district administrations have enforced curfews in Butwal, Bhairahawa, and Itahari following intensified demonstrations by Nepal's 'Gen Z' protesters.

According to The Kathmandu Post, the curfew in Butwal and Bhairahawa is effective from 4 pm to 10 pm, banning gatherings, rallies, and protests within designated zones. In Butwal, restrictions cover areas from Dhago Karkhana Bridge to Belbas Chowk, while in Bhairahawa, it spans from Rohinikhola Bridge to Bethari Bridge.

However, a curfew was imposed in Itahari's main square from 3:30 pm until further notice after protests escalated, with Chief District Officers Tokraj Pandey and Dharmendra Mishra announcing these measures to control unrest.

Nepal's Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has tendered his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, citing moral grounds following the deaths of 19 people and over 400 injuries during violent "Gen Z" protests against the government's social media ban and corruption, according to The Kathmandu Post. Lekhak submitted his resignation during a Cabinet meeting at Oli's Baluwatar residence on Monday evening.

The protests, led by young Nepalis demanding accountability and governance reforms, saw police clashes with demonstrators in Kathmandu and other cities like Itahari, sparking political pressure and calls for Lekhak's resignation from Congress leaders like Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is demanding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's immediate resignation and calling for early elections, citing the government's lost legitimacy following a brutal crackdown on "Gen Z" protests.

According to RSP General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti, as reported by The Kathmandu Post, "The relevance of the current government has completely ended. We demand the prime minister's immediate resignation.

A high-level judicial probe commission should be formed to investigate the incident and take stern action against the home minister and all others responsible". Burlakoti condemned the government's handling of the protests, which resulted in 19 deaths and hundreds injured in Kathmandu and Itahari, with protesters facing police fire.

What are the protesters saying?

Many people in Nepal think corruption is rampant, and the government of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has been criticised by opponents for failing to deliver on its promises to tackle graft or make progress in addressing longstanding economic issues.

Nepal's youngsters say the protest is an expression of their widespread frustration over the social media ban.

What happened on Monday?

At least 19 people died and dozens were injured as thousands of young people protested across major cities in Nepal. In the capital Kathmandu, protesters barged into the parliament complex by breaking through a barricade and setting fire to an ambulance.

Police had been given orders to use water cannons, batons and rubber bullets to control the angry crowd. The army was deployed and a curfew was imposed in the city.

At least 19 people were killed and over 100 injured in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, and other cities on Monday as police clashed with young protesters demonstrating against the government's ban on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and widespread corruption, according to Reuters.

The protests, dubbed "Gen Z demonstrations," saw youths, many in school uniforms, break through barricades, set an ambulance on fire, and hurl objects at riot police guarding parliament. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli called an emergency cabinet meeting amid the unrest, with curfews imposed in parts of Kathmandu.

The India-Nepal border is on high alert as the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), India's border guarding force, intensifies vigilance following deadly protests in Nepal.

According to ANI, authorities have issued an alert along the 1,751 km open border, which spans across Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Sikkim, in response to thousands of youths breaking into Nepal's parliament protesting a social media ban and alleged government corruption.

"An alert has been issued on the India-Nepal border, considering a protest in Nepal. Sashastra Seema Bal is keeping a close watch on the development," officials told ANI, emphasizing the alert is "preventive in nature" with the situation under control.

At least 14 people were killed and more than 50 injured in Nepal’s capital on Monday as security forces clashed with demonstrators denouncing a government crackdown on social media and corruption, state television reported. The protests, dubbed a “Gen Z movement” by organisers, erupted after authorities blocked Facebook and other platforms, sparking anger among young people who make up the bulk of the country’s internet users.

The clashes saw police fire tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets as protesters attempted to storm parliament, with violence spreading to other cities including Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Pokhara, Reuters reported.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

State television reported at least 14 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.

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.

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.

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

Only five companies complied with the registration order, and TikTok is the largest among them.

Read here

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.

Read here

Nepal is witnessing the deadliest civil uprising in years as tens of thousands of young agitators took to Kathmandu’s streets to protest the government decision to block about two dozen social network platforms, including YouTube and Facebook.

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.

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.

READ HERE

At least 14 people have died in Nepal on Monday in violent protests against a social media shutdown by the government and alleged corruption, state-run television said.

Pictures: AP

Massive Generation Z-led protests erupted in Kathmandu after Nepal banned 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Initially peaceful, demonstrations turned violent as protesters breached barricades near Parliament, vandalized gates, and clashed with police.

Watch the video here:

At least eight young men were killed and many others wounded Monday as the police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a Gen-Z crowd in Kathmandu that entered Nepal’s parliament, opposing the ban on social media platforms and government corruption.

So far, eight deaths have been confirmed, with an unspecified number of wounded, some critically, as protesters took to the streets in New Baneshwor.

The men, all under 30, had assembled at Maitighar Mandala, a designated protest spot, approximately 1,200 meters away from Nepal’s parliament, to protest against what they claimed was rampant corruption and the impunity with which the rulers had been operating, ignoring all demands for a probe into corruption in high places.

After thousands of Gen-Z protesters took to the streets in a massive protest, and stormed the parliament and other government offices, the Nepal government imposed curfew in most parts of Kathmandu and Pokhara, where protests and clashes with the police took place.

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, whose resignation is now top of the agenda, called an emergency cabinet meeting in the evening.

(Reported by Yubaraj Ghimire)

At least one person died and more than 50 people were injured in Nepal on Monday in violent protests against a social media shutdown and alleged corruption, state television said.

- Reuters

(ANI)

Nepali police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse young protesters who tried to storm the Parliament building, officials and witnesses said. “We have imposed a curfew that will remain in effect until 10 p.m. local time (1615 GMT) to bring the situation under control after protesters turned violent,” Kathmandu district office spokesperson Muktiram Rijal told Reuters.

He added that security forces were ordered to use water cannons, batons, and rubber bullets to push back the demonstrators.