When Young Voices Roar: 19 Killed in Nepal Over Internet Crackdown

International News: Youth in Nepal have once again taken to the streets. Thousands of youth are protesting in the capital, Kathmandu, and other major cities under the banner of Gen-G against the ban on internet media and the spread of corruption in the country. The number of students wearing school and college uniforms was also large.

Emerging situation in violence: 19 dead

When the protests turned violent, the security forces had to take strict action. At least 19 people were killed in police and army action, including a 12-year-old child. About 350 people have been injured. Curfew has been imposed in many cities, including Kathmandu, and the army has been deployed. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called an emergency meeting to consider the situation.

Home Minister resigned

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in the coalition government of Nepal resigned from his post, fulfilling moral responsibility. In view of the violence, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) deployed on the India-Nepal border also increased security. The government had banned 26 major social media platforms—such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X, and YouTube.

Youth said, "Attack on expression."

Out of about three crore people in Nepal, 90 percent use the Internet. Thousands of youth gathered in front of the Parliament House in Kathmandu and raised anti-government slogans. Posters and flags read, "Stop corruption, not internet media" and "Youth against corruption."

Violence erupted in the Parliament premises

Some protesters broke the barricades and entered the Parliament premises, set an ambulance on fire, and pelted stones at security personnel. Police resorted to lathi charge, tear gas, aerial firing, and rubber bullets. 17 people were killed in Kathmandu and 2 in the Sunsari district of eastern Nepal.

The demonstration spread from the capital to other cities

The Gen-G demonstration spread to Biratnagar, Bharatpur, Pokhara, Butwal, Chitwan, Nepalganj, Bhairahawa, Itahari, Lalitpur, Jhapa, and Damak. In Jhapa, protesters also pelted stones at Prime Minister Oli's residence.

Government's stand

Prime Minister Oli said, "We are not against the internet or the platform. Our aim is to stop elements that do not follow the law and tarnish the country's image. We asked companies for a year to register in Nepal and pay taxes, but they did not follow the rules."

Banned and registered platforms

Banned: Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, WeChat, Threads, Clubhouse, etc.

Registered: Viber, TikTok, WeTalk, and Nimbuzz.

Gen-G movement

Gen-G includes people born between 1997 and 2012. Their age in 2025 is approximately 13 to 28 years. Nepal is at the forefront of the Gen-G movement, as previously seen in Sri Lanka (2022) and Bangladesh (2024).