Nepal in Flames: Gen Z-Led Uprising Forces PM Resignation Amid Social Media Ban and Deadly Crackdown

Nepal has plunged into its deepest political crisis in decades following nationwide protests by youths triggered by a controversial ban on social media and entrenched corruption. The violence picked up steam after demonstrators objected to a government-imposed curfew and torched the Federal Parliament building in Kathmandu as well as homes of top political leaders.

The protests, dominated by Gen Z protesters, began when the government closed down 26 major social media platforms on the pretext of not complying with new registration policies. The shutdown was reversed, but outrage among citizens mounted when 19 protesters were shot dead in a crackdown carried out by police firing live bullets.

Four-term Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned under mounting pressure, stating his decision was to make room for a political solution. His resignation, however, did little to calm the outrage, with protesters demanding a system overhaul and accountability.

Demonstrators targeted symbols of power, torching government buildings, media establishments, and residences of senior officials. The protest movement, fueled by viral accounts of elite excesses, united thousands of individuals in cities calling for an end to a new era of governance.

With parliament burned and political destiny in jeopardy, there are shouts from the streets that this is not a demonstration—but a reckoning for an entire generation. As Nepal's youth take centre stage, the world witnesses a democracy at the fork in the road.