KATHMANDU, Nepal (BN24) — Protesters in Nepal set fire to the homes of several of the country’s most prominent political leaders as unrest spread Tuesday, a day after 19 people were killed in Kathmandu during violent demonstrations against a government-imposed social media ban and widespread corruption.
Videos and images circulating on social platforms showed demonstrators targeting residences of key leaders in and around the capital. The houses of Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the Nepali Congress and head of the country’s largest party; President Ram Chandra Poudel; Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak; and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), were among those torched. A private school owned by Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba Rana, Deuba’s wife, was also set ablaze.
Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu and other major cities. Schools in the capital were ordered closed as security forces moved to contain unrest that escalated from protests against the ban on Facebook, X, YouTube, and other platforms into a broader expression of public fury at Nepal’s political class, accused of corruption and neglect.
“Our demand is for peace and an end to corruption so that young people can work and live in our country,” said Bishnu Thapa Chetri, a student who joined the protests. Another demonstrator, Narayan Acharya, condemned Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, saying, “We are here to seek justice for our friends who were killed. Oli should be chased away.”
On Monday, tens of thousands of mostly young demonstrators, many wearing school and college uniforms, had marched through the capital carrying national flags and chanting slogans such as “Stop corruption, not social media.” As crowds pressed against barricades around Parliament, police opened fire after using tear gas and water cannons, killing at least 19 people and wounding more than 100. Doctors at Kathmandu’s National Trauma Center said many victims had gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
The protests, dubbed a “Gen Z uprising”, are being fueled by frustration with entrenched corruption, lack of economic opportunity, and anger at an increasingly unpopular Oli government. “They killed so many youths yesterday who had so much to look forward to,” said protester Durganah Dahal. “As long as this government is in power, we will continue to suffer.”
In response to the bloodshed, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned late Monday, saying he bore “moral responsibility” for the deaths. Oli announced the formation of an investigative committee to report within 15 days and promised compensation for victims’ families as well as free medical care for the wounded.
The controversy began last week when the government blocked more than 20 social platforms, citing their failure to comply with a new requirement to register and designate local offices for regulatory oversight. Officials said the ban was aimed at curbing fake accounts, hate speech, and fraud, but critics denounced the move as an attempt at censorship and silencing dissent.
While TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered with Nepali authorities and remain operational, companies such as Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), Google (which owns YouTube), and Elon Musk’s X have not complied. None of the companies responded to requests for comment.
Nepal, which banned TikTok in 2023 for “disrupting social harmony” before later restoring access, has struggled with political instability since abolishing its monarchy in 2008. The Himalayan nation has seen 14 governments in just 17 years, none completing a full five-year term. Analysts say this week’s unrest represents the sharpest challenge yet to Oli’s fourth administration and signals a generational revolt demanding change.
