KATHMANDU
At least 19 people have died after police opened fire on Generation Z-led protests across Kathmandu and other major Nepali cities on Monday, as youths rallied against corruption and the recent social media ban. Demonstrations initially began in New Baneshwar, Kathmandu, and quickly spread to Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Bharatpur, Itahari, and Damak, despite authorities imposing a curfew from 3:30 pm.
Hospital sources reported that 17 people died in Kathmandu alone, including eight at the National Trauma Centre, three each at Everest Hospital and Civil Hospital, two at Kathmandu Medical College, and one at Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital. In Sunsari, two protesters injured during Itahari demonstrations also succumbed to their injuries, bringing the nationwide death toll to 19. At least 347 injured protesters are receiving treatment nationwide, with many in critical condition. Doctors reported severe head and chest wounds among several patients, highlighting the intensity of police action.
Authorities used water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition to disperse crowds, particularly near the Federal Parliament building in Baneshwar. Similar unrest erupted in Pokhara, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Hetauda, Nepalgunj, and Jhapa, where protesters blocked highways and targeted officials’ residences.
The National Human Rights Commission urged restraint from both police and demonstrators, stressing constitutional and international guarantees for peaceful protest.
On Thursday, Nepal blocked access to major social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, after the companies failed to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Authorities had issued a notice giving these platforms a one-week window to complete registration starting August 28. However, none of the tech giants—including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and LinkedIn—submitted their applications before the deadline.
Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday evening amid mounting criticism over the handling of Gen Z-led demonstrations. He tendered his resignation to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli during a Cabinet meeting at the PM’s Baluwatar residence. According to a minister present at the meeting, Lekhak quit on “moral grounds” following the deaths of 19 protesters in Kathmandu and two in Itahari, with more than 400 people injured during Monday’s unrest.
