Nepal Gen Z Protest News: At least 19 people have died in Nepal during protests led by Gen Z against the government’s ban on 26 social media platforms. Seventeen deaths occurred in Kathmandu hospitals, while two protesters in Itahari, Sunsari, also succumbed to injuries, IANS reported citing hospital officials. According to the local media reports, at least 347 injured protesters are being treated across the country, with dozens in critical condition. Most of the protesters were aged between 18 and 30.
The demonstrations began at New Baneshwar in the capital and escalated throughout the day despite authorities imposing a curfew from 3:30 pm. Police used water cannons, tear gas, and live rounds to disperse crowds of young protesters who attempted to set the Parliament building on fire.
"We have imposed a curfew that will remain in effect until 10 pm local time (1615 GMT) to bring the situation under control after protesters turned violent," Kathmandu district office spokesperson Muktiram Rijal said, quoted Reuters.
Why Social Media Ban in Nepal?
The Nepali government banned social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, after they did not register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, according to the NDTV World Report. According to the government, a notice was served to social media platforms a week to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. A notice said social media giants were given a week to register with the government, starting August 28. But none -- Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and LinkedIn - had submitted applications by the deadline.
Even the Nepali Supreme Court has also issued an order asking social media platforms to establish a point of contact and name a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer. TikTok, Viber, Witk, Nimbuzz, and Popo Live are registered with the government and continue to be in use in Nepal. Applications from Telegram and Global Diary are being examined, it is learnt, according to NDTV.
As per local reports, the number of Facebook users in the country at around 13.5 million and Instagram at around 3.6 million. Many rely on social media for their business. As the social media platforms went down in Nepal, those affected started protesting. The demonstrations against the social media ban then snowballed into an anti-corruption protest.
The Nepal government issued an advisory on Sunday that it respects freedom of thought and expression and is committed to creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use. Earlier, the government blocked access to Telegram, citing that the secure platform was being used for online fraud and money laundering activities.
Last year, after India, the government also banned the Chinese application TikTok. The ban was lifted in August after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.