On Monday, at least 19 individuals lost their lives in Nepal, with many more injured, as police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters attempting to storm parliament.
Who are the protesters?
Thousands of young Nepalis, primarily in their 20s or younger, assembled in Kathmandu and other cities to protest. Many were students, participating in their school or college attire. The organizers dubbed these gatherings “Gen Z demonstrations.”
What sparked the outrage?
Last week, the Nepali government restricted access to several social media platforms due to the companies’ failure to register under new regulations intended to curb misuse.
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The government claims these platforms are used to create fake IDs for spreading hate speech, fake news, and committing fraud. A directive was issued to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to disable unregistered platforms, though details were not specified. Services will resume once compliance is achieved.
Local reports indicate that the blocked platforms include Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Alphabet’s YouTube, China’s Tencent, Snapchat, Pinterest, and X.
What are the protesters saying?
Many Nepalis believe corruption is widespread, and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s government faces criticism for not fulfilling promises to combat corruption or improve economic issues.
Nepal’s youth express that the protests reflect their deep frustration over the social media ban.
What happened on Monday?
At least 19 people were killed, and many were injured as thousands protested in major Nepali cities.
In Kathmandu, protesters breached the parliament complex, breaking barricades and setting an ambulance on fire.
Police were instructed to use water cannons, batons, and rubber bullets to manage the crowd. The army was deployed, and a curfew imposed in the city.
