Nepal Gen Z Protests: Social Media Ban Triggers Chaos, 19 Dead after years of anger over corruption, unemployment, and instability. The sudden ban on social media pushed thousands of young people onto the streets in rage.
Protesters set fire to government offices and politicians’ homes. Security forces opened fire, killing 19 people and injuring dozens more. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, but the protests only grew stronger.
Nepal Gen Z Protests: Social Media Ban Triggers Chaos, 19 Dead also turned into a strange online trend. Youths posted TikTok and Instagram videos of themselves dancing in front of burning buildings, waving flags, and banging on metal plates.
Mobs attacked top leaders. Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife were injured. The wife of ex-PM Jhala Nath Khanal suffered severe burns and later died. Protesters also targeted the homes of President Ramchandra Paudel, former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and several cabinet ministers. Deputy PM Bishnu Paudel was chased and beaten.
Even as leaders scrambled for safety, Gen Z kept posting protest clips once the ban ended. Experts urged the youth to form a negotiation team so talks with the President, army, and civil society could begin.
