Nepal’s streets erupted in protest on September 8, 2025, a potent demonstration spearheaded by Generation Z that rocked the country’s political landscape.
The unrest, triggered by a government ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram, on September 4, 2025, revealed deeper grievances rooted in corruption, economic hardship, and governance failures.
This article examines the reasons behind Nepal’s ongoing protests, which resulted in violent clashes, at least 19 fatalities, over 400 injuries, and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s resignation on September 9, 2025.
The government’s social media ban, which was defended as a reaction to platforms’ noncompliance with the new registration regulations, was the direct cause.
For young people in Nepal, who depend on these platforms for activism, communication, and expression, the prohibition was an apparent attempt to stifle criticism.
Viral posts showcasing the extravagant lifestyles of political elites’ families—dubbed “nepo kids”—against the harsh reality of average incomes of about USD 1,400 have made social media a megaphone for exposing government excesses.
Gen Z, who comprise 43 per cent of Nepal’s population, took to the streets to protest the ban, which they saw as an assault on free speech. They used hashtags like #NepalProtest to share evidence of police brutality and rally support.
Underlying issues
Systemic corruption is the underlying malaise that lies beneath this trigger. Claims of nepotism and poor management have long plagued Nepal’s political scene.
Scandals such as the 2017 Airbus procurement deal, in which officials were charged with embezzlement, have damaged public confidence. Recent social media exposés showing how political elites prosper while ordinary people suffer have exacerbated these frustrations.
Protesters chanted for an end to a system that benefits the wealthy few at the expense of the underprivileged many, demanding accountability and transparency.
Economic difficulties added fuel to the unrest. Nepal’s economy, which depends mainly on remittances (33 per cent of GDP), provides limited opportunities for young people. With a youth unemployment rate of 20 per cent and 82 per cent of the workforce working in informal jobs, the future of young Nepalis is bleak.
The disparity between their hardships and the wealth of political families, which is frequently displayed on the internet, stoked animosity.
Beyond the social media ban
Many demonstrators saw the battle as not only about social media but also about a system that disenfranchises them while allowing the wealthy to thrive.
These problems were exacerbated by governance shortcomings. Nepal has long been afflicted by bureaucratic inefficiency and favouritism, and its citizens are dissatisfied with the lack of advancement on essential issues like infrastructure and job creation.
Tear gas, batons, and internet restrictions were the government’s harsh response to the protests, which only served to exacerbate public ire and strengthen views of an authoritarian government cut off from its citizens.
Despite being triggered by a digital ban, the protests show a generational call for structural change. With smartphones and a shared sense of injustice, Nepal’s youth turned social media into a battlefield for the truth.
Since more serious problems with corruption, inequality, and poor governance have not been addressed, the lifting of the ban did little to calm their ire.
Protests mark a turning point as Nepal navigates this turbulent time, calling for a future where justice, opportunity, and transparency are the norm.