Dozens Killed in Youth-Led Protests in Nepal

At least 13 people have died, and more than 150 others were injured, after mass protests erupted in Nepal over the government's decision to ban access to 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Reddit, and LinkedIn.

The blackout, enacted amid claims that these platforms failed to properly register with authorities, sparked outrage among young Nepalis across Kathmandu and in other cities.

Thousands of protesters, many identifying as “Gen Z,” gathered near the Parliament in the capital and elsewhere, waving national flags and chanting slogans like “Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption, not social media.

” The demonstrations quickly turned violent as protesters attempted to storm restricted zones, leading security forces to deploy tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and eventually live ammunition. Multiple hospitals reported victims with gunshot injuries to the head and chest, including several students in school uniforms.

In response, authorities imposed curfews across Kathmandu and deployed the army alongside police to quell civil unrest. The government defended the ban as essential for regulating hate speech and cybercrime, but critics, including opposition leaders and civil rights groups, argued it represented authoritarian overreach that violated Nepal’s constitutional protections on freedom of expression and its international human rights obligations.

The crackdown has deepened political tensions in the country, symbolizing not just a fight over digital rights but a wider backlash against government corruption, nepotism, and eroding democratic norms. As protests continue, calls for justice and restoration of free communication remain central to the demonstrators’ demands.

Sources: The Guardian, Economic Times, Reuters, BBC News