19 Killed in Nepal ‘Gen Z’ Protests Over Social Media Ban and Corruption

Demonstrators try to break through police barricades during a protest against corruption and the government's decision to block several social media platforms, in Kathmandu, Nepal, September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar Purchase Licensing Rights

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s government lifted ban on social media platforms Tuesday a day after violent street protests that left at least 19 people killed.

Some of the world’s largest platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube were blocked last week, followed by a massive protest rally in the capital Kathmandu on Monday.

Police in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu opened fire on demonstrators protesting a government attempt to regulate social media.

The Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also resigned late Monday at an emergency Cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Rallies swept the streets around the Parliament building, which was surrounded by tens of thousands of people angry at authorities who said the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.

The gunfire unfolded as the government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online.

About two dozen social networks that are widely used in Nepal were repeatedly given notices to register their companies officially in the Himalayan nation, the government said. Those that failed to register have been blocked since last week.

Organisers of the protests, which spread to other cities in the Himalayan country, have called them "demonstrations by Gen Z."

They say the protests reflect young people's widespread frustration with the government's perceived lack of action to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities.

The government last week decided to block access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, a decision that fuelled anger among the young.

Officials say the shutdown was for those social media platforms which had failed to register with the government, amid a crackdown on fake IDs, misinformation and hate speech.

Nepal's main opposition party had criticised the decision.