'Police firing indiscriminately': How Nepal’s Gen Z revolt against social media ban turned into a deadly chaos

With anger targeted at the Nepal's government over social media shutdown and corruption, the ongoing unrest in the Himalayan country killed at least 19 people on Monday, as police in the capital fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters trying to storm parliament.

"The police have been firing indiscriminately," one protester told the ANI news agency. "(They) fired bullets which missed me but hit a friend who was standing behind me. He was hit in the hand."

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the unrest, which erupted after thousands of young people, including many wearing their school or college uniforms, took to the streets earlier on Monday.


Many carried flags and placards with slogans such as "Shut down corruption and not social media", "Unban social media", and "Youths against corruption", as they marched through Kathmandu.

Gen Z protest

Organisers of the protests, which spread to other cities in Nepal, have called them "demonstrations by Gen Z". They say the protests reflect young people's widespread frustration with government action to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities.

"This is the protest by the new generation in Nepal," another protester told ANI.

A government decision to block access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, last week has fuelled anger among the young. About 90% of Nepal's 30 million people use the internet.

Officials said they imposed the ban because platforms had failed to register with authorities in a crackdown on misuse, including false social media accounts used to spread hate speech and fake news, and commit fraud.

Why is Nepal's youth protesting?

The move by the authorities came as the government sent a bill for a debate in Parliament that wants to ensure that social platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” It includes asking the companies to appoint a liaison office or point in the country.

The bill has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and punishing government opponents who voice their protests online. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and violate fundamental rights.

Nepal in 2023 banned video-sharing app 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. They include a ban of pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.