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Factbox-Why is Nepal's 'Gen Z' protesting?
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 8, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 8, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Nepal's Gen Z protests erupted over a social media ban, resulting in 19 deaths. The government blocked platforms like Facebook, sparking outrage.
(Reuters) -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.
WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS?
Thousands of young Nepali people, many in their 20s or even younger, got together to protest in the capital Kathmandu and other cities in the Himalayan country. Many of the protesters were students and joined the demonstrations in their school or college uniforms. The organisers called the protests "demonstrations by Gen Z".
WHAT SPARKED THE OUTRAGE?
Last week, Nepal's government blocked access to several social media platforms after the companies missed the deadline to register under new regulations, aimed at cracking down on misuse.
Nepal's government has said social media users create fake IDs and use them to spread hate speech and fake news, commit fraud and other crimes on these platforms.
A government notice directed the regulator, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, to deactivate unregistered social media but gave no details of which platforms faced action. The services will be restored once the platforms comply with its order, the government said.
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.
WHAT ARE THE PROTESTERS SAYING?
Many people in Nepal think corruption is rampant, and the government of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has been criticised by opponents for failing to deliver on its promises to tackle graft or make progress in addressing longstanding economic issues.
Nepal's youngsters say the protest is an expression of their widespread frustration over the social media ban.
WHAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY?
At least 19 people died and dozens were injured as thousands of young people protested across major cities in Nepal.
In the capital Kathmandu, protesters barged into the parliament complex by breaking through a barricade and setting fire to an ambulance.
Police had been given orders to use water cannons, batons and rubber bullets to control the angry crowd. The army was deployed and a curfew was imposed in the city.
(Compiled by Tanvi Mehta; editing by Sudipto Ganguly, William Maclean)
The protests were triggered by the government's decision to block access to several social media platforms after they failed to register under new regulations aimed at preventing misuse.
The main participants are thousands of young Nepali people, many in their 20s or younger, including students who are expressing their frustration over the social media ban.
The police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, and the army was deployed to control the situation, which included imposing a curfew in Kathmandu.
The protesters are demanding the restoration of access to social media platforms and are expressing their broader frustrations regarding government corruption and unfulfilled promises.
On Monday, at least 19 people died and dozens were injured as protests escalated, with protesters breaking into the parliament complex and setting fire to an ambulance.
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