From parliament to luxury hotels, Nepal's protest movement targeted the elite

By Emily Schmall

KATHMANDU (Reuters) -As protesters in Nepal stormed parliament this week forcing the prime minister to quit, luxury hotels and residences were attacked by arsonists amid anger at the lavish lifestyle of the elites in one of the world's poorest countries.

The demonstrations, popularly referred to as the "Gen Z" protests as most participants were in their teens or early 20s, have triggered Nepal's worst upheaval in years, forcing unpopular leader K.P. Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday, a day after 19 protesters were killed in violence.

The death toll has since risen to 34 and more than 1,300 were injured, Nepal's health ministry said.

Leaders of the Gen Z protest movement distanced themselves from the arson attacks blaming infiltrators, but analysts point to mounting frustration at wealth inequality in Nepal and at perceived corruption within Nepal's political leadership.

While the parliament, the prime minister’s office and the Supreme Court were still burning, arsonists also attacked five-star hotels, including the Hilton, the Hyatt Regency and Varnabas Museum Hotel.

The Hyatt Regency, a sprawling property near Boudhanath Stupa, among the most important Buddhist sites in Nepal and a draw for tourists, was damaged by protesters, Bhushan Rane, the hotel's front office manager, told Reuters.

No guests or staff were injured, Rane added. Due to the political unrest, the hotel will remain closed until further notice. 

Tourism is the lifeblood of Nepal's economy.

The Hilton Hotel, a five-star glass tower, was also torched, sending black plumes of smoke into the sky. The Kathmandu Hilton was opened last year by Shahil Agrawal, the scion of a Nepalese steelmaking business-turned-conglomerate, the Shanker Group.

A Hilton spokesperson said the property had been closed following damage sustained during the protests and guests and staff were safely evacuated. A full assessment of the building would be undertaken, the statement said.

The homes of politicians including Oli were also attacked.

INEQUALITY

The Gen Z movement has gained traction in recent months rallying around posts on TikTok, Instagram and other social media sites that purportedly show the children of Nepal's political leaders enjoying a lavish lifestyle, from designer clothes to pricey vacations.

Meanwhile, thousands of mainly young people leave Nepal every day, in search of economic opportunity in the Middle East, Malaysia, South Korea and elsewhere.

"That is the frustration of the common people," said Balaram K.C., a retired justice of the Supreme Court and a constitutional expert.

"You people who are supposed to run the country in an honest way, you are taking care of yourself and your relatives and no one else," he said.

Rajendra Bajgain, a Nepali Congress party lawmaker, said on Thursday that his luxury hotel, Varnabas Museum, had also been targeted in an arson attack and guests were safely evacuated.

After the deaths of demonstrators, Bajgain announced his intention to step down from parliament and said he was sympathetic to the Gen Z protesters.

"It has mounted for quite some time this kind of dissatisfaction in Nepal with the corruption," he said.

(Additional reporting by Hritam Mukherjee; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Alexandra Hudson)