Nepal protests Gen Z: What’s happening in Nepal as 19 are killed in widespread Gen Z protests – and why are they protesting?

Nepal, nestled between two Asian giants India and China, has been rocked by violent protests carried out by Gen Z, which generally refers to youth born between 1995 and 2010. At least 19 people died in Nepal on Monday and dozens more were injured as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who tried to break into parliament. Police in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu opened fire Monday on demonstrators protesting a government attempt to regulate social media. Local media reported that the banned platforms include Meta's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Alphabet's YouTube, China's Tencent and Snapchat, Pinterest and X.

Nepal Home Minister Resigns

Nepal's Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Monday resigned following violent protests in Kathmandu and other parts of the country over the government's ban on social media sites, the Nepali Congress sources said. Home Minister Lekhak, who represented the Nepali Congress party in the coalition government, has resigned on moral grounds, Nepali Congress sources said.


UN Demands Probe

The United Nations on Monday demanded a swift and transparent investigation after Nepal police were accused of opening fire on protesters demanding the government lift a social media ban. "We are shocked by the killings and injury of protesters in Nepal today and urge a prompt and transparent investigation," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.

Nepal Protests: Hundreds Injured

Rallies swept the streets around the Parliament building, which was surrounded by tens of thousands of people angry at authorities who said the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight. At least 145 people were wounded, officials said.

Protesters pushed through barbed wire and forced riot police to retreat inside the Parliament complex.

The gunfire unfolded as the 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.

Ban on Social Media in Nepal

About two dozen social networks that are widely used in Nepal were repeatedly given notices to register their companies officially in the country, the government said. Those that failed to register have been blocked since last week.

The government's proposed bill includes asking the 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.

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.

FAQs

Q1. Which social media platforms have been banned?
A1. Meta's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Alphabet's YouTube, China's Tencent and Snapchat, Pinterest and X have reportedly banned in Nepal.

Q2. Who are Gen Z?
A2. Gen Z generally refers to youth born between 1995 and 2010.