Gen Z protests in Nepal, sparked by a social media ban, have killed nearly 2 dozen and injured hundreds. Here’s what to know

Nepal’s prime minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, resigned on Tuesday after youth-led protests sparked by a government ban on social media in the Himalayan country left nearly two dozen people dead and hundreds injured, CNN reported. That ban has since been lifted, per Reuters.

Protesters reportedly set government buildings, police stations, and the houses of politicians on fire Tuesday, a day after police fired tear gas at and used rubber bullets on protesters storming parliament in the country’s capital, Kathmandu, per Reuters.

The protests, led by Nepal’s Generation Z, ages 13 to 28, come after the government blocked Facebook, X, and YouTube, saying the social media platforms failed to register and comply with necessary oversight.

What started as an outcry against a social media ban has grown violent and expanded into widespread criticism of the nation’s political elite and poor economic prospects for its citizens—especially young people, who are frustrated by their lack of opportunity, according to The Associated Press.

Unemployment among Nepal’s youth is staggeringly high at 19%, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), with thousands estimated to be leaving the country daily to seek work elsewhere.

Last Thursday, Nepal’s minister for communication and information, Prithvi Subba Gurung, said about two dozen social media platforms were repeatedly given notices to officially register their companies. TikTok, Viber, and three others were allowed to continue operating because they had registered. Critics argue it was an attempt at censorship.

On X, where “Nepal” is trending, one user wrote: “Nepal protest is primarily against corruption and misgovernance. Social media ban was just the tipping point.” Others posted videos of Nepal’s parliament burning and Gen Z protesters in the streets.

The clashes are the deadliest Nepal has seen in decades, and come after a long period of turbulence marked by a dozen different governments since it became a republic, following the end of the monarchy in 2008 and a decade-long civil war.