Extravagance of Politicians, Impoverished Population, and Blocked Networks: Understanding the 'Gen Z' Fury That Threw Nepal into Chaos
A wave of protests has left 19 people dead. Young people clashed with police, and set fire to government buildings and ministers' homes. The government has backed down on social media blocks and instituted a curfew.
Between Monday (8) and Tuesday (9), Nepal witnessed a stunning "Gen Z" revolt against the government, fueled by the stark contrast between the extravagance of politicians and the poverty of the general population. The blocking of social media was seen as the final straw for an unprecedented uprising in the country.
Context: The wave of protests plunged the country into chaos and generated historic images in the capital, Kathmandu. During the demonstrations, government buildings and ministers' homes were set ablaze. In brutal scenes, government officials were dragged through the streets by the crowd and assaulted.
💸 Social inequality is one of the main grievances of the Nepali youth that drove thousands of people into the streets. According to the World Bank, the richest 10% earn more than three times the income of the poorest 40% of the country.
One in five Nepalis lives in poverty. Furthermore, 22% of young people between 15 and 24 are unemployed. Nepal is on the UN's list of 44 least developed countries in the world.
Gaurav Nepune, one of the protest leaders, said that young people had been conducting an online campaign for three months to expose the contrast between the lives of politicians and ordinary people.
Users began criticizing the Nepali elite by posting photos of politicians' children flaunting luxury, while young people from poor families have to leave the country to support their relatives.
Amid this, corruption scandals have benefited politicians. Impunity has further fueled the population's anger.
👉 Youth Power: The demonstrations were heavily organized by "Gen Z" youth. This is the popular name given to people born between 1995 and 2009, who are between 16 and 30 years old.
They are the first generation considered digital natives, having grown up with the internet, smartphones, and social media.
Because of this, the group is often described as being more connected, critical, and engaged in debates about diversity, sustainability, and politics, in addition to having consumption and communication habits shaped by the digital environment.
🔥 The popular unrest, which resulted in the burning of the government headquarters, Parliament, and the Supreme Court, is the worst in decades in the country.
The country has faced political and economic instability since the 1990s, when a 10-year civil war resulted in the abolition of the Nepali monarchy in 2008.
Because it is so recent, democracy in Nepal is still considered very fragile.
Even so, according to the 2025 Democracy Index, published by V-Dem at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Nepal is classified as an electoral democracy—on par with Brazil, Argentina, and Poland.
Currently, the country is governed by President Ram Chandra Poudel, a center-left politician. Khadga Prasad Oli, the Prime Minister who resigned after the protests escalated, is from the Communist Party.
Young Nepalis had already been frustrated with this instability. Millions have been forced to leave the country to work in other parts of Asia and even the Middle East, sending money back to their families who remained in Nepal.
Recently, the government blocked social media, claiming the spread of fake news and a lack of cooperation from big tech companies with the judiciary. However, the measure was seen by activists as an attempt to silence the growing online anti-corruption movement.
The social media block caused thousands of families to lose contact with young people working abroad.
Faced with this scenario, young people turned to other networks that were still available in the country, such as Viber and TikTok. It was on these platforms that the protests were mobilized.
On Monday alone, 19 people died in the demonstrations during clashes. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets against the crowd.
The number of casualties caused the situation to escalate on Tuesday, when new protests condemned the police repression.
The intensity of the demonstrations led the Prime Minister to step down.
The government also revoked the social media block.
"Every citizen of Nepal was already fed up with the corrupt government of Nepal. The anger against this government had been building up for many months, but the call for this protest was very spontaneous," digital influencer Sandip, 31, told Reuters news agency.
💥 Even after the Prime Minister's resignation, the escalation of violence continued in Nepal. The population ignored a curfew imposed by the government and continued protests overnight.
Homes of the country's officials, including that of the former Prime Minister who resigned, were attacked and burned.
The residence of another former Prime Minister, Jhala Nath Khanal, was also set on fire. His wife suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital.
Two airports were damaged, as were the Hilton and Varnabas hotels.
Kathmandu Airport, Nepal's main international gateway, was closed due to smoke from fires started by the protesters. It is the entry point, for example, for tourists traveling to climb Mount Everest.
Civilians were photographed carrying assault rifles in the streets of the capital.
Who's Next?
One of the most popular names among protesters to govern the country is Balendra Shah, 35. A former rapper and songwriter, he became mayor of Kathmandu in 2022 after a campaign to clean up the city's streets and rivers.
After the deaths of protesters during the Monday demonstrations, Shah called the then-Prime Minister a "terrorist" who did not understand the "pain of losing a son or daughter."
On Tuesday, after Oli's resignation, he called for calm from his almost 784,000 followers on Instagram.
"Dear Generation Z, the resignation of your political oppressors has happened! Now, please, have patience," he wrote.
