Kathmandu, September 9: Nepal’s government has revoked its controversial ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and X, after nationwide Gen Z-led protests turned violent, leaving at least 19 people dead and over 300 injured in two days of unrest.
On Tuesday morning, demonstrators in Sunakothi, Lalitpur escalated the protests by setting fire to the private residence of Minister for Communication, Information and Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung after pelting it with stones, The Himalayan Times reported. Authorities later confirmed that the fire was contained and the situation brought under control.
The protests, which began on Monday, saw thousands of young people, including school students, marching across Kathmandu and other cities demanding the revocation of the social media ban and accountability for corruption. Security forces responded with tear gas, baton charges, and live ammunition, triggering outrage across the country.
As the death toll climbed, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned, while opposition leaders and even some coalition lawmakers called for Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s resignation.
“The lifting of the ban alone is not enough,” said Swati Thapa, a central committee member of the opposition Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). “The government has murdered unarmed, peaceful young people—some in school uniforms. We will not stay silent; Gen Z will return to the streets to demand justice.”
The government deployed the army to the capital after protests spread to multiple provinces, with troops now controlling roads around the Parliament complex.
Monday’s protests were described as the largest youth-led demonstrations in Nepal’s recent history, shaking the political establishment and exposing deep anger over corruption, censorship, and heavy-handed governance.
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