Kathmandu, Nepal — Nepal plunged into chaos this week as Gen Z–led protests against corruption and nepotism erupted into fire and fury, culminating in the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, according to media reports.
For two days, the streets of Kathmandu and other cities filled with tens of thousands of demonstrators, many of them young, armed with placards and chants that echoed across the Himalayan capital: “Stop corruption, not social media.”
What began as anger over a controversial social media ban quickly metastasized into a full-fledged uprising against a political elite seen as out of touch and self-serving. The Oli government last week blocked Facebook, X, YouTube and other platforms, demanding they register under new oversight rules. But even after Oli bowed to pressure and lifted the ban, the fury did not subside.
Instead, it spread. Protesters stormed government buildings, breached the gates of Parliament, and torched symbols of state power. Private residences of President Ram Chandra Poudel, Prime Minister Oli, and former premiers Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sher Bahadur Deuba were set ablaze. Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s home was also vandalized.
The capital resembled a battleground. Acrid black smoke rose above Kathmandu’s skyline, while cars, trucks, and government offices burned. Videos circulating online showed mobs scaling compound walls, shattering windows, and scrawling slogans against “nepo babies” — the children of political leaders accused of reaping undue privileges.
By Monday night, the violence had left at least 19 people dead and more than 400 injured. Hospitals filled with students and youths struck by bullets and stones, while furious crowds accused security forces of aiming directly at protesters’ heads. The government imposed curfews in several districts, but police largely refrained from forceful crackdowns, appearing overwhelmed by the sheer scale of unrest.
On Tuesday, Oli resigned, departing the capital by military helicopter. His resignation fulfilled the central demand of demonstrators but left the nation’s future uncertain. Under Nepal’s system, the president remains head of state, but sources in Kathmandu suggested Ram Chandra Poudel too may soon step down under intense pressure.
With ministers distancing themselves from Oli’s administration and the army deployed to secure the capital, many fear Nepal could follow the trajectory of Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh in 2024, where anti-corruption movements toppled governments and militaries stepped into the vacuum.
For now, the chants of Nepal’s youth dominate the public square: “Shut down corruption, not our voices.” Their uprising, born in defiance of a social media ban, has shaken an entire political order.
