The Gen Z Nepal protest over social media ban has shaken Kathmandu. What started online quickly spread to the streets on Monday as thousands of young people demanded accountability and an end to corruption in the KP Sharma Oli government.
Clashes erupted near Parliament when protesters broke police barricades. Security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons, and eventually gunfire. At least 16 people died, and over 100 were injured. The government declared a curfew in the capital and deployed the Nepal Army to restore order.
Many protesters carried the national flag and placards that read, “Shut down corruption, not social media” and “Unban social media.” Demonstrators included not just Gen Z but also millennials and older citizens. They said the movement had grown beyond the social media ban into a wider civil rights struggle against corruption and misgovernance.
The protests erupted after the government blocked 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Twitter, on September 4. Prime Minister Oli defended the move, saying unregistered platforms defy the law and weaken national sovereignty.
