Nepal protests over repealed social media ban rage, sparking prime minister’s sudden resignation

Kathmandu — Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced Tuesday that he would step down as the country was rocked by a second day of unrest amid protests over a since-repealed ban on many major social media platforms. Clashes between young demonstrators and police on Monday turned violent, with police reportedly killing 19 people.

Protesters in Nepal’s capital defied a curfew on Tuesday to continue venting their rage at the government a day after the deadly crackdown.

The protests, which began on Monday with demands that the government lift a ban on social media and tackle corruption, reignited despite the apps being allowed to go back online.

Kathmandu police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said several groups had refused to obey a curfew on Tuesday, telling AFP there were protesters in the streets in many areas including “cases of fire and attacks.”

Some targeted the properties of politicians and government buildings, according to an AFP photographer and local media reports. According to The Associated Press, the homes of the leader of the largest political party in the country, Nepali Congress, along with President Ram Chandra Poudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and leader of the Communist party of Nepal were among those set on fire. A private school owned by the foreign minister was also set on fire.

Prime Minister Oli, 73, had ordered a probe into the violence and on Tuesday said he would head all-party talks in a bid to bring about a “meaningful conclusion” to the violence. But not long after, local media said he was stepping down, and the Reuters news agency cited his aide Prakash Silwal as confirming the news.

The interior minister resigned on Monday, according to a government statement, while two others cabinet members had earlier quit on Tuesday, according to Nepali media.

“The social media platforms have been opened, which was among the Gen Z’s demands,” Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung told AFP, referring to young people aged largely in their 20s who have led the protests.

What are the protests in Nepal all about?

The social media ban fed into existing anger at the government in a country with a youth bulge. People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43% of the population, according to government statistics — while unemployment hovers around 10% and GDP per capita at just $1,447, according to the World Bank.

Slogans demanding accountability from the authorities have been a feature at the protests.

“Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state — that shows the scale of police brutality,” 23-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari, who took part in the demonstrations a day earlier, said Tuesday. “The government… have to take responsibility for the lives that were lost.”

Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government cut access to 26 platforms that it said had failed to register as required. In addition to formal registration, the government had required the platforms to post a local liaison in Nepal.

Amnesty International said live ammunition was used against protesters on Monday, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.

Police in Kathmandu on Monday clashed with the crowds when protesters pushed through barbed wire and tried to storm into a restricted area near parliament. Seventeen people were killed in Kathmandu, police said, and two more in the eastern district of Sunsari, according to local media.

Police said about 400 people were injured, including more than 100 police.

Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.

Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business. Others rely on the apps for messaging.

“This isn’t just about social media — it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” the Kathmandu Post newspaper wrote. “Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal.”

“For them, digital freedom is personal freedom,” the newspaper said. “Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”

Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past, including to Telegram in July, citing a rise in online fraud. It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.