Unrest resulted in the deaths of at least 14 individuals and injuries to numerous others in Nepal’s capital on Monday, according to state television, when police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators attempting to breach parliament in response to a social media blackout and corruption issues.
A local official reported that certain demonstrators breached the parliament complex by dismantling a barricade, igniting an ambulance, throwing projectiles at riot police, and transporting the injured to the hospital by motorcycles.
A demonstrator informed the ANI news agency that “the police have been firing indiscriminately.” They discharged rounds that missed me but struck a friend positioned behind me. He sustained a blow to the hand.
No official confirmation of the fatalities and injuries was provided, and Reuters was unable to validate the statistics independently.
Ekram Giri, a legislative spokeswoman, stated that certain demonstrators had accessed the premises but not the main building and had been expelled by the police.
The organizers of the protests, which have spread to other towns in the Himalayan nation, have labeled them “demonstrations by Gen Z.” The protests reflect the pervasive discontent among young people regarding the administration and its policies.
“This is the demonstration by the new generation in Nepal,” another protester informed ANI.
A governmental move to restrict access to multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, last week, has incited resentment among the youth. Approximately 90 percent of Nepal’s 30 million inhabitants utilize the internet.
Officials stated that the ban was enacted due to platforms’ failure to register with authorities in an effort to combat misuse, including the proliferation of fraudulent social media accounts utilized for disseminating hate speech, misinformation, and perpetrating fraud.
Batons and rubber projectiles
Law enforcement was instructed to utilize water cannons, batons, and rubber bullets to manage the throng. At the same time, the military has been dispatched to the protest area to support police, stated Muktiram Rijal, a spokesperson for the Kathmandu district office, to Reuters.
The curfew, effective until 10 p.m. local time (1615 GMT), has been extended to the Singha Durbar region of Kathmandu, encompassing the prime minister’s office and additional administrative structures.
Authorities said that such demonstrations were also conducted in Biratnagar and Bharatpur in the southern plains, as well as in Pokhara in western Nepal.
Numerous young individuals, including students clad in their school or college uniforms, participated in the demonstration earlier on Monday.
Numerous individuals bore the national flag and placards inscribed with phrases including “Terminate corruption, not social media,” “Reinstate social media,” and “Youth opposed to corruption,” as they paraded around Kathmandu.
A significant number of individuals in the Himalayan nation perceive corruption as pervasive, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s administration has faced criticism from adversaries for its inability to fulfill its commitments.
Nepal’s social media ban aligns with global governmental actions, including those by the US, EU, Brazil, India, China, and Australia, aimed at enhancing the regulation of social media and Big Tech in response to escalating concerns about misinformation, data privacy, online harm, and national security.
Critics argue that such safeguards may inhibit free expression, whilst regulators contend that enhanced controls are necessary to safeguard users and maintain social order.
