Violent protests led by young Nepalis have left at least 20 people dead, including Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, the wife of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, after a government-imposed social media ban sparked widespread unrest.
The demonstrations, which began Monday after security forces killed 19 people, quickly escalated as thousands of protesters stormed Kathmandu. Armed with sticks and stones, they torched the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s office, Parliament, the Prime Minister’s residence, and several lawmakers’ homes.
Chitrakar reportedly died after being trapped inside her residence, while more than 500 people have been injured since the unrest erupted. Officials and politicians were chased, beaten, and in some cases stripped in public, as anger spilled across the capital.
“Kathmandu is burning. Smoke is emanating across the capital’s seat of power as protesters have set fire to many important offices,” lawmaker Rajendra Bajgain told The Telegraph.
Authorities have imposed curfews in several districts and deployed tear gas and water cannons after protesters targeted Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s home in Damak with stones.
Carrying placards reading “enough is enough” and “end to corruption,” demonstrators said their anger extended beyond the ban, denouncing what they described as the government’s authoritarian tendencies and entrenched corruption.
The protests came on the heels of a viral “nepo kid” campaign, which highlighted the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children and fueled public outrage.
Last week, the government ordered the shutdown of 26 platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, after they failed to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Officials defended the decision as necessary to curb fake news, hate speech, and online fraud.
But the ban, which cut off millions of Nepalis from platforms they rely on for news, business, and entertainment, triggered swift backlash. Within hours of the protests intensifying, the government lifted the ban.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli has resigned, including several other ministers.
