Kathmandu, September 8, 2025 — At least 19 people were killed and hundreds injured in Nepal on Monday after security forces opened fire on mass protests led by Generation Z. The demonstrations erupted nationwide following the government’s decision to ban 26 major social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X—after companies refused to comply with new registration rules. Critics say the ban was less about regulation and more about silencing dissent, sparking one of the largest youth-led uprisings in recent memory.
Tens of thousands of young protesters, many in school uniforms, gathered in Kathmandu and other major cities, with Maitighar Mandala and the federal parliament in New Baneshwor becoming flashpoints. Demonstrators clashed with police, who responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons before escalating to live fire. The violence left at least 19 dead—including two in Itahari—and more than 200 injured. Authorities imposed curfews in key areas of Kathmandu in an effort to restore order.
The unrest quickly grew beyond opposition to the social media ban, reflecting deeper frustrations with corruption, nepotism, and authoritarian governance under Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. The largely non-partisan “Gen Z protest” spread across cities like Pokhara, Biratnagar, and Dharan, with youth emphasizing democratic freedoms and their right to be heard. In a major political fallout, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned following the deadly crackdown, acknowledging public anger over the state’s heavy-handed response.
Domestic leaders and international watchdogs have condemned the killings. The Rastriya Swatantra Party and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah expressed solidarity with the youth movement, urging the government not to suppress it. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations called for an independent investigation into the use of lethal force. With outrage growing at home and abroad, the crisis now poses one of the biggest challenges to Nepal’s fragile democracy in recent years.
