Why GenZ has taken over the streets in Nepal

NILIM KASHYAP BARTHAKUR

Thousands of Nepal’s youth hit the streets in unprecedented protests on Monday (September 8, 2025) following a sweeping government ban on major social media platforms. The unrest, which began with peaceful demonstrations, turned violent, leaving at least 19 dead and over 400 injured. Authorities imposed curfews in Kathmandu and other cities after protesters breached the Parliament premises and targetted the homes of politicians.

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday as Gen Z-led protests escalated in Kathmandu and other parts of the country for a second consecutive day. Mr. Oli’s secretariat confirmed his resignation.

Generation Z refers to people born between 1996 and 2010. They’re the second-youngest generation, between millennials and Generation Alpha. Gen Z identity has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety, a shifting financial landscape, and COVID-19. They’re known as ‘digital natives’, the first generation to grow up with the internet.

The immediate spark was the government’s decision on September 4 to block 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X, and YouTube, after they failed to comply with a deadline to register locally, appoint grievance handlers, and remove flagged content. Issuing a public notice, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had said “It has ordered the Nepal Telecommunication Authority to make inactive all non-registered social media sites until they are registered.”

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The protests, widely referred to as the “Gen Z protests,” have been driven largely by young Nepalis under the age of 30, many of whom gathered in school or college uniforms. Demonstrations were not formally aligned with political parties and were reportedly coordinated by Hami Nepal, a youth-focused non-profit organisation established in 2015. Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, an independent politician, who won the mayoral elections through his active social media campaign has been vocal in supporting the protests.

Alongside opposition to the social media ban, the protesters also raised concerns about corruption, nepotism and lack of accountability in governance, frequently using the phrase “nepo babies” to criticise perceived privilege within the political establishment.

Beyond the social media ban, the protests also reflected wider grievances among Nepal’s youth. Demonstrators highlighted corruption cases involving senior politicians, including a 2017 Airbus purchase deal that led to losses for the state airline and subsequent convictions following investigations by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

The protests compelled an emergency cabinet meeting, after which the government revoked the social media ban, restoring access to all affected platforms. Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli expressed regret over the bloodshed.  A statement released by Mr. Oli defended the social media ban and blamed “infiltrators” for the violence. He also expressed sorrow over the deaths during the protests. An investigation panel has been ordered to report within 15 days on the causes and preventive measures.

But Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, as hundreds of people entered his office and private residence in Kathmandu during a massive agitation against corruption, a day after a similar protest against a ban on social media left 19 people dead. 

The development came as a handful of ministers also quit the Cabinet, citing the government’s alleged ignorance towards the protesters’ grievances. It also came hours after Mr Oli appealed for peace and called for dialogue with the protesters. 

The protesters defied curbs on public gatherings and burnt tyres to block roads in Kalanki. They shouted slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (K P Sharma Oli is a thief, quit the country), “Take action against corrupt leaders”. The agitators also targeted the residences of President Ram Chandra Poudel and ministers, including Mr Gurung.

Protesters set fire to the private residences of President Ram Chandra Poudel and Prime Minister Oli. Videos emerged on social media showing demonstrators roaming through the President’s house and vandalising it. Houses of former Nepali Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda and Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Energy Minister Deepak Khadka were also damaged by protesters.

09-09-2025

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