At least 19 people died in protests in Nepal’s capital and other cities, after rage over a social-media shutdown and corruption led to violent clashes between the police and young demonstrators.
The so-called “Gen Z” protests are considered the most widespread in Nepal’s modern history. The protests were triggered by a government-imposed ban on Facebook and other major social-media platforms last week, just as an online movement targeting politicians and powerful figures’ “nepo kids” was forming.
Protesters stormed the Parliament in Kathmandu, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and, according to human rights organization Amnesty International, live ammunition.
Seventeen of the at least 19 deaths were in Kathmandu, according to a police spokesperson, while two men died in protests in the southeastern city of Itahari. Local media reported that the violence also sent hundreds to hospitals for injuries nationwide.
The country’s Home Affairs Minister resigned, and the government lifted the social-media ban the day after. The government also launched a probe panel to investigate what happened in the capital. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli claimed that the violence escalated “because of infiltration and our attempts to protect some constitutional institutions from arson and vandalism.” Authorities have since imposed curfews in the capital and other cities.
Here’s what to know about the protests.
What triggered the protests?
Social-media use in Nepal is widespread: analysis from digital advisory firm Kepios found that there were 14.3 million active social-media user identities in Nepal at the start of 2025. If each user were a distinct person, that figure would account for almost half of the country’s population.
But many social-media platforms have reportedly repeatedly rejected directives from the Nepal government to register with the country’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. On Sept. 29…
