At least 19 people have died and hundreds have been injured amid escalating protests, as Nepal rescinds its recent ban on social media platforms. Thousands of young demonstrators—largely students—took to the streets in Kathmandu and other cities to oppose the ban on 26 online services, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X and YouTube, imposed for failing to register under new government regulations. Clashes turned violent when protesters attempted to storm the parliament, prompting authorities to deploy tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannon and live ammunition. Seventeen deaths occurred in Kathmandu and two more occurred in Itahari, while total injuries have been reported at over two hundred.
Amid mounting casualties, the government swiftly reversed course. Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung announced the withdrawal of the social media shutdown early on 9 September, confirming that platforms were operational once again. Curfews remain in force across the capital and several other cities as tensions continue.
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned, citing moral responsibility for the violence, amid growing domestic and international condemnation. Human rights bodies, including the UN, have called for prompt, transparent investigations into the security forces’ response.
Protesters decried the ban as censorship, but deeper grievances fuelled the unrest. The so-called Youth-led outrage turns deadly reflects widespread frustration over corruption, nepotism and lack of economic prospects under Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli’s administration. Tensions echoed broader discontent across South Asia, drawing comparisons to anti-government demonstrations in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Students and young people became the face of resistance, with “Gen Z protests” symbolising a generational rejection of political elitism. Social media—briefly weaponised as both target and tool—survived as protesters continued to mobilise using compliant platforms like TikTok and VPN services.