KATHMANDU, Nepal — Youth-led demonstrations in Nepal erupted into flames and gunfire this week as protesters set fire the parliament building in Kathmandu and forced the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli.
The unrest which began Monday over a government ban on social media apps and mounting corruption allegations escalated into one of the country’s deadliest crackdowns in years with at least 19 people killed and dozens injured.
The movement driven largely by Generation Z swept through the capital after authorities restricted access to Facebook Instagram and other platforms sparking anger among young Nepalis who viewed the ban as an attack on their only tools to challenge entrenched power.
Protesters stormed government offices carried away equipment and lit fires inside the parliamentary complex as security forces responded with tear gas water cannon and live ammunition according to rights groups.
Oli stepped down Tuesday under mounting pressure from the street as international observers called for an independent investigation into the killings and urged Nepal’s leaders to address systemic corruption and youth unemployment.
Protesters hailed the resignation as a victory but analysts warned the political vacuum could expose deeper vulnerabilities in the Himalayan nation’s fragile democracy.
