Thousands of Nepali youth marched the streets of Kathmandu to protest against government corruption and the recent decision to ban 26 popular social media platforms. The demonstrations had resulted in an angry clash with Nepalese police, which has now resulted in over 9 protesters dead and dozens more injured.
Protesters carried the national flag and placards with slogans such as "Shut down corruption and not social media", "Unban social media", and "Youths against corruption", as they marched through Kathmandu.
#WATCH | Nepal | Protest turned violent in Kathmandu as people staged a massive protest outside Kathmandu Parliament against the ban on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media sites, leading to clashes between police and protesters. pic.twitter.com/61D5wK3ZTB
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2025
The protests were organised by Gen Z to show the frustration with the corruption in the government. For the past few days, hashtags like Nepokids and Nepo babies were trending online, which took off after the government decided to ban the platforms, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Social Media ban
On August 25, the Nepal Cabinet had decided that all social media operators must register within seven days under the Directive on Regulating the Use of Social Media, 2023, and the deadline expired on September 3. On September 4, the Nepal government blocked all unregistered social media platforms after they did not contact the ministry by the deadline.
The Nepal Telecommunications Authority shared the names of 26 platforms that would be shut down, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Pinterest, Signal, Threads, WeChat, Quora, Tumblr, Clubhouse, Mastodon, Rumble, VK, Line, IMO, Zalo, Soul, and Hamro Patro.
Many social media platforms have not been accessible in the country since Friday and affects millions of users who rely on these platforms to run businesses, read news, and stay connected with friends and family, the AFP reported.
About 90 percent of Nepali citizens use the internet, Reuters reported. What essentially started as a protest against the bans has changed into an anti-corruption protest.
“We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here. We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal,” Yujan Rajbhandari, a 24-year-old student, told the news agency.
Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government.“We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she said.
Actor Hari Bansha Acharya voiced his support for the protests on Facebook, saying, “Today’s youth, however, do more than just think; they ask questions. Why did it collapse? How? Who is accountable? This is just one example of the issues this generation raises. The voice we hear today is not against the system itself, but against the actions of leaders and officials responsible for it.”
