Deadly Protests Rock Nepal as Youth Rise Against Sweeping Social Media Ban

Published: 08 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Nepal has been engulfed in its most violent street protests in recent years after the government imposed a sweeping ban on 26 major social media platforms, sparking fury among young people across the country. At least 14 people were reported killed and more than a hundred injured as demonstrators, largely from Generation Z, clashed with police and security forces in Kathmandu and other major cities. The unrest has triggered a nationwide crisis, raising urgent questions over freedom of expression, state control, and the future of democracy in the Himalayan nation.

The protests erupted after Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli’s administration ordered the blocking of globally popular platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. Officials defended the decision, citing concerns over hate speech, misinformation, fake accounts, and online fraud. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology said the companies were given repeated requests to register locally and obtain government licenses but failed to comply. “We requested them to enlist with us five times. What to do when they don’t listen to us?” ministry spokesman Gajendra Kumar Thakur told reporters.

Yet critics believe the move reflects a far more sweeping attempt by the government to muzzle dissent and extend control over online spaces that have become powerful tools for political mobilisation and criticism of corruption. Protesters who took to the streets in Kathmandu carried placards with slogans such as “Shut down corruption, not social media” and “Unban social media,” while waving the national flag in defiance of curfew orders. By Monday afternoon, demonstrators had clashed with riot police near parliament, some briefly entering parliamentary grounds before being forced back.

Authorities responded with a heavy hand. The government confirmed that the army had been deployed alongside police to enforce curfews in the capital and other flashpoints. Security forces used rubber bullets, batons, water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds, while protesters retaliated by throwing stones, setting fire to barricades and toppling police cordons. Eyewitness images and footage shared by local outlets depicted chaotic scenes of smoke-filled streets, young people in school uniforms standing against riot shields, and injured protesters being carried away on makeshift stretchers.

The death toll has been contested. State-run Nepal Television initially reported just one fatality and around 50 injuries, while local newspapers raised the count to six before revising it upwards. By late afternoon, The Kathmandu Post and other independent outlets were reporting at least 14 dead. Officials acknowledged more than 100 injured, with hospitals in Kathmandu and Biratnagar overwhelmed by the influx of casualties.

For many of the protesters, the unrest has gone beyond opposition to the social media ban and has turned into a broader condemnation of systemic corruption and authoritarian governance. “We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here,” said 24-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari, quoted by AFP. “We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal.” Another young demonstrator, 20-year-old Ikshama Tumrok, declared that her generation was determined to end a cycle of repression. “We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she said.

The protests have spread rapidly beyond Kathmandu to cities including Pokhara, Bharatpur and Biratnagar, with thousands of students and young professionals defying restrictions to join marches. In some towns, demonstrators occupied key highways, paralysing traffic and disrupting daily life. The government imposed curfews until late evening, but reports suggested that many groups defied them, chanting against the Oli administration deep into the night.

International observers have expressed alarm at the developments. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ban as a “dangerous precedent for press freedom” and urged the government to immediately restore access. “Social media platforms are essential tools for exercising press freedom,” said CPJ regional director Beh Lih Yi. Rights groups warned that cutting off digital communication in a country where 90 percent of the 30 million population are internet users would isolate communities, weaken transparency, and damage the tourism and remittance-driven economy.

The Oli government has defended its decision by pointing to a recent Supreme Court directive requiring media platforms to register locally and be accountable for misinformation and harmful content. Officials argue that compliance is a necessary step to protect national security and public order. Yet critics see this as part of a pattern. A temporary TikTok ban in 2023, lifted after the platform complied with registration rules, is now being cited as a precedent. This time, however, the ban has been more sweeping, covering nearly all widely used platforms and cutting off Nepalese society from global digital networks.

The crisis has quickly become one of the most significant challenges to Nepal’s fragile democracy since the end of the monarchy and the civil war. With much of the younger generation relying on social media not only for communication but also for education, business, and political expression, the government’s move is seen as a direct strike at their way of life. Analysts fear that if the standoff continues, Nepal may face deeper political instability, with long-lasting consequences for governance, foreign relations, and its already struggling economy.

For now, Kathmandu remains under heavy security, with army patrols in key districts and curfews extended into the evening. The voices of Nepal’s youth, however, appear unlikely to be silenced. From street slogans to underground networks, the message has been consistent: this is not only about social media, but about the future of freedom and accountability in the country.