Gen-Z protests continue in Nepal, 18 killed; Army on the streets after curfew

When the protesters started entering the restricted area near the Parliament House, the police tried to suppress the protest with tear gas and water cannons. During this, 18 people died and more than 50 were injured, who have been admitted to nearby hospitals.

Kathmandu: Thousands of youth took to the streets in Nepal's capital Kathmandu today on Monday against the ban imposed by the government on 26 major social media platforms. This protest is being carried out mainly by the youth of Generation-Z, who are not only angry with the social media ban, but are also raising their voice against the problem of corruption spread in the country.

Clashes With The Police

At 9 am, protesters protested with banners in their hands in the Maitighar area. Slogans like 'End corruption, save social media', 'Remove social media ban' were written on the banners. The protesters were also singing the national anthem carrying the national flag.

Why Nepal banned social media platforms including WhatsApp, Insta, YT and FB?

Police's Tough Stance, 18 Killed

When the protesters started entering the restricted area near the Parliament House, the police tried to suppress the protest with tear gas and water cannons. During this, 18 people died and more than 50 were injured, who have been admitted to nearby hospitals.

Curfew And Army Deployment

As soon as the demonstration turned violent, curfew was imposed in sensitive areas of Kathmandu. Curfew is in force from 12:30 pm to 10 pm in many government areas including the President and Vice President's residence, Prime Minister's Office. After the curfew, the army has been deployed on the streets.

Protest against social media ban in Kathmandu, government imposes curfew

Reason For Social Media Ban

The government has imposed these restrictions because these platforms were not registering according to local rules. Big platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Reddit are also included in this. Companies were given time to appoint grievance redressal officers and create contact details.

Current Situation

The demonstration has now spread to other big cities of Nepal as well. The government says that the ban will be lifted only when the rules are followed. Whereas the protesters consider it an attack on freedom of expression and are demanding withdrawal of the ban.