At least 19 people have been reported killed as police fired at protesters, mostly Nepal’s tech-savvy Generation Z, on Monday (September 8, 2025) who took over the streets of Kathmandu and other major cities to protest against corruption and the government’s recent ban on social media platforms.
As the protest escalated, demonstrators marched towards Nepal’s federal parliament building in New Baneshwor. Security forces reinforced barricades, but protesters broke through the police cordon and entered the parliament premises, chanting slogans against leaders, including Prime Minister K.P. Sharma ‘Oli’, and demanding he “leave the country.”
The Kathmandu District Administration Office imposed a curfew from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. in several areas, including Baneshwor, Shital Niwas (the President’s residence), Lainchaur (Vice-President’s residence), Baluwatar (Prime Minister’s residence), and Singha Durbar (the government complex).
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Thousands of young Nepali people, many in their 20s or even younger, got together to protest in the capital Kathmandu and other cities in the Himalayan country. Many of the protesters were students and joined the demonstrations in their school or college uniforms. The organisers called the protests “demonstrations by Gen Z”.
Many people in Nepal think corruption is rampant, and the government of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has been criticised by opponents for failing to deliver on its promises to tackle graft or make progress in addressing longstanding economic issues.
Nepal’s youngsters say the protest is an expression of their widespread frustration over the social media ban.
– Reuters
Expressing his regret over the deaths of protestors in Nepal, the country’s former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in a post on X asked the Government to lift the ban on social media and immediately address the demands against corruption.
“The government should take responsibility and take concrete steps to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.”
Tallies from various hospitals, compiled by Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population, show a total of 19 deaths so far, with 347 injured currently receiving treatment at different hospitals.
Two of the deaths were reported in Itahari, a city located roughly 360 kilometers east of Kathmandu.
-Sanjeev Satgainya
The Nepal Human Rights Commission, in a statement, said police used excessive force against the protesters. It called on the government to take the voice of the new generation seriously and to immediately stop the use of excessive force on demonstrators.
At least 14 protestors have died so far in the ongoing protests.
-Sanjeev Satgainya
At least 14 people have now been reported dead across Kathmandu as thousands of protestors faced off against security personnel in Nepal.
Officials said seven people died at the National Trauma Centre, three at Everest Hospital, two at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and one at KMC Hospital.
More than 200 injured individuals are being treated at various hospitals across Kathmandu.
-Sanjeev Satgainya
The K.P. Sharma Oli government September 4, 2025 decided to ban as many as 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, citing their failure to meet the deadline to comply with registration requirements in Nepal.
Issuing a public notice, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology said it “has ordered the Nepal Telecommunication Authority to make inactive all non-registered social media sites until they are registered.”
Free speech advocates have objected to the move, saying it is less about regulation and more about silencing dissenting voices.
At least 10 people have been reported killed as police fired at protesters, mostly Nepal’s tech-savvy Generation Z, on Monday (September 8, 2025) who took over the streets of Kathmandu and other major cities to protest against corruption and the government’s recent ban on social media platforms.
“Until now 10 protesters have died and 87 are injured,” Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP.
The National Trauma Centre reported that four of the injured brought in for treatment died, while two others succumbed to their injuries at Civil Hospital. The deaths are likely to increase as witnesses say hospitals have been flooded with the injured.