Demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the country’s capital a day earlier.
KATHMANDU, Nepal — On Tuesday, Nepal’s prime minister stepped down amid escalating protests against a recent, albeit brief, ban on social media. The unrest had evolved into a wider criticism of governmental corruption and discontent with the country’s political elite.
The day prior, young people, enraged by the blocking of several social media platforms, had taken to the capital’s streets. The situation turned deadly when police fired on the demonstrators, resulting in 19 casualties.
Although the social media ban was rescinded on Tuesday, protests persisted. Demonstrators set fires to residences of top politicians and the parliament building. The capital’s airport closed, and army helicopters were used to evacuate some government ministers to safe locations.
As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said he was stepping down immediately.
The demonstrations, termed the protest of Gen Z, began after the government blocked sites like Facebook, X, and YouTube, citing non-compliance with registration and oversight requirements.
Even as these platforms were restored, the protests did not abate. The demonstrators remained mobilized by the fatal police response and mounting disillusionment with the political class in the nation situated between China and India.
Frustration particularly mounts among young people regarding the privileged lifestyles of the political elite’s offspring—referred to as Nepo Kids—while the average youth grapples with employment challenges. With a youth unemployment rate of 20% last year according to the World Bank, government figures suggest over 2,000 young Nepalese leave daily for opportunities in the Middle East or Southeast Asia.
“I am here to protest about the massive corruption in our country,” said Bishnu Thapa Chetri, a student. “The country has gotten so bad that for us youths there is no grounds for us to stay.”
Focus turns to the government
On Tuesday, local media and videos shared on social media showed protesters attacking the residences of the top political leaders in and around the capital of Kathmandu.
Oli’s private home was among those set on fire, as were those of the president, home minister and the leader of the country’s largest party, Nepali Congress, which is part of the governing coalition. Oli’s family was at the official residence at the time. The home of the leader of the opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was also set ablaze.
A curfew was imposed in the capital and other cities, and schools in Kathmandu were closed — but several protests continued in the capital despite the measures.
“Punish the murders in government. Stop killing children,” the protesters chanted, referring to the deaths at protests a day before. Police used loudspeakers urging them to return home.
The protesters blamed the government for the police opening fire and called for the ouster of the increasingly unpopular prime minister.
“We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed, we are here to see that justice is done and the present regime is ousted,” said Narayan Acharya, who was among the protesters outside the battered wall of the parliament building Tuesday. “K.P. Oli should be chased away,”
Police fire on crowds
Monday’s rallies swelled to tens of thousands of people in Kathmandu and crowds surrounded the Parliament building before police opened fire on the demonstrators.
“Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving national flags.
Seven of the 19 killed and scores of the wounded were taken to the National Trauma Center, the country’s main hospital.
“Many of them are in serious condition and appear to have been shot in the head and chest,” said Dr. Badri Risa, who works at the hospital. Families waited for news of their relatives while people lined up to donate blood.
Before he resigned, Oli said he would form an investigating committee that would submit a report on the shooting in 15 days. He added that compensation would be given to the families of those who were killed and those who were wounded would receive free treatment.
The violence unfolded as Nepal’s government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online.
The bill would require companies to appoint a liaison office or a point of contact in the country. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and fundamental rights.
The registration requirement applied to about two dozen social networks widely used in Nepal.
Neither Google, which owns YouTube, nor Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Elon Musk’s X platform also did not respond.
TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered and operated without interruption.
Nepal in 2023 banned TikTok for disrupting “social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials.” The ban was lifted last year after TikTok’s executives pledged to comply with local laws, including a ban of pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.
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