A surge of youth protests, triggered at first by a social media ban imposed by the government, has turned into a full-fledged political crisis in Nepal. Thousands of young protesters, claiming to be “Gen Z,” occupied the Parliament building and torched part of it just as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation was announced on Tuesday.
Buildings Burned, Homes Rampaged
The violence escalated with protesters burning the prime minister’s house in Balkot, Bhaktapur, and those of other top government officials. Footage from the site indicated billows of smoke as protesters moved towards the Parliament, calling out slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (“KP is a thief, leave the country”) and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders.”
Nepal Federal Parliament #genzprotestinnepal #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/8YnLPHYxkh
— Ankit Singh Yadav (@ankit_everest) September 9, 2025
The unrest spilt over into the Singha Durbar, Nepal’s central government complex, where protesters broke through the western gate and allegedly burned it down. The residence of former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also burnt a day after his resignation, following police actions against the protesters.
Protests Over Social Media Ban Turn Deadly
The protests started after the Oli administration suspended 26 social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and X. While the government lifted the ban late on Monday, protests were still ongoing, fueled by anger over the killing of 19 individuals and injuring of more than 300 people in the violence. The authorities have since declared a curfew in strategic points of the capital in an attempt to quell the situation.
Nepal Parliament gutted in Kathmandu by thousands of youth protestors. pic.twitter.com/tC4BLBbGY0
— Frontalforce (@FrontalForce) September 9, 2025
Government Collapses Under Pressure
With huge pressure from the anti-government protests, Prime Minister Oli formally resigned as prime minister. His resignation came after a crowd of protesters invaded his office and chanted anti-government slogans.
In the midst of the mayhem, the Nepali Congress central office in Sanepa was also attacked. All flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) were cancelled for the day because of the security issues emanating from the general violence, although airport officials insisted that the facility itself was not shut down.
India-Nepal Border On High Alert
To counter the growing unrest, the India-Nepal border at Panitanki in West Bengal’s Darjeeling has also been placed on high alert. Police patrols have been increased, and a new police outpost has been established at the border to keep watch. An official claimed they are in “alert mode” and in touch with both Indian security agencies and the Nepal police to control the situation.