Nepal: 14 killed, more than 50 injured in protests against social media ban

Fourteen persons were killed and more than 50 injured in Nepal’s Kathmandu after protests against a government ban on social media platforms turned violent on Monday, reported the Kathmandu Post.

On Thursday, the Nepali government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying they had failed to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

The move followed a Supreme Court order in August that required all platforms to register before operating so authorities could monitor “unwanted content”.

On Monday, protesters in Kathmandu tried to storm parliament, Reuters reported.

Some briefly entered a restricted area, prompting police to fire tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and live ammunition, according to the Kathmandu Post.

PHOTOS: Gen Z protest in Kathmandu against corruption and ban on social media platformshttps://t.co/PXmcW4rbv1 pic.twitter.com/EKKkmYQg7v— The Kathmandu Post (@kathmandupost) September 8, 2025

Ten protesters are in a critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, the newspaper quoted Dr Dipendra Pandey of National Trauma Centre as saying.

Two journalists were among those injured.

A curfew has been imposed from 12.30 pm to 10 pm in Kathmandu, including in the Singha Durbar area, which houses the prime minister’s office and other ministries, Reuters quoted the Kathmandu district office as saying.

The demonstrations on Monday were referred to as the protest of Gen Z, generally referring to persons born...

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