Kathmandu, Sept 8 – At least 19 people were killed and dozens more injured in Nepal on Sunday after police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of protesters attempting to storm Parliament.
The demonstrations, dubbed “Gen Z protests,” saw thousands of young Nepalis—many of them students in their school and college uniforms—take to the streets in Kathmandu and other cities. Most were in their teens or twenties, marking one of the largest youth-led uprisings the Himalayan country has seen in recent years.
The unrest was sparked by the government’s move last week to block access to several major social media platforms. Authorities said the companies had failed to meet a registration deadline under new regulations designed to curb misuse, including hate speech, fake news, fraud, and cybercrimes.
In a notice, Nepal’s Telecommunications Authority was directed to shut down unregistered platforms, though no detailed list was initially provided. Local media later reported that the banned services included Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Google’s YouTube, China’s Tencent apps, Snapchat, Pinterest, and X (formerly Twitter).
Officials said the platforms would be restored once they comply with registration requirements. But for many young Nepalis, the restrictions were seen as a direct attack on freedom of expression and access to information.
The protests quickly grew in size, culminating in Sunday’s deadly clashes outside Parliament. Human rights groups have urged the government to respect the right to peaceful protest and reconsider the sweeping restrictions, warning that attempts to silence Nepal’s youth could fuel deeper unrest.
