'Gen Z rebellion' in Nepal: Police, protesters clash at Kathmandu over social media ban, corruption; many dead, dozens injured
Violent clashes erupted outside the Federal Parliament in Nepal as police fired rubber bullets and aerial shots to control the protests by Gen Z demonstrators over the banning of several social media apps. The total death toll from the protests has reached six after protesters succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment.
Two protesters receiving treatment for injuries at Civil Hospital died earlier. Four more were announced dead later at the national Trauma Centre after sustaining bullet injuries. Dozens were rushed to hospitals and health facilities due to bullet wounds to the chest and head.
The demonstration was organised to oppose government corruption and the recent bans on 26 major social media and communication platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, WhatsApp, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.
The protesters had refused to back down even as police fired repeated rounds of tear gas and water cannons at them. Police then resorted to aerial firing to clear the crowd. Later, they also cleared out those who entered the parliament building, the Himalayan Times reported.
The Kathmandu District Administration has imposed a curfew in New Baneshwor and the surrounding areas where the protests took place, from 12:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Thousands of youth protesters had taken to the streets to oppose corruption and the bans on social media apps. The protests were initially announced as peaceful, but turned violent after they pushed through and damaged the barricades set up by the police. Some protesters had even entered the parliament building premises in New Baneshwar.
Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had commented earlier on the planned protests, saying, "I hear of a planned 'Gen Z rebellion'. We are not against platforms or social networks; we are against lawlessness, arrogance, and belittling our country. For a year, we told social networks: register under Nepal’s law, pay taxes, and be accountable. They replied, 'We don’t know your constitution.' Then intellectuals complain: four jobs lost. But are four jobs bigger than national self-respect? For self-respect, maybe four jobs go for four days, but new ones will come. They cannot be operators, managers, and consumers all at once"
Gen Z protesters had also gathered outside Kathmandu at areas like Biratnagar, Butwal, Chitwan, Pokhara, and other cities.
The Nepal government had banned all major social media sites on Thursday for failing to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology within the given deadline. The social media sites were given a deadline of seven days from August 28 to register.
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