Days after Nepal banned social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, its cities including capital Kathmandu witnessed massive youth protests, leading bloody clashes with the police.

At least 19 people have been confirmed dead by the Nepalese police in these clashes. The agitation is being termed as Gen-Z protest in Nepal.

Several thousands of Nepali youngsters took to streets in Kathmandu on Monday in protest against the government. They carried placards with slogans such as “Shut down corruption and not social media”, “Unban social media”, and “Youths against corruption” as they marched through Kathmandu, as per Reuters.

As thousands of protestors, many of them in school or college uniforms, marched towards the parliament, the police set up barricades to stop them.

However, as protesters breached the restricted zone and entered the parliament premises, the police responded with water cannon, tear gas, and live ammunition.

The authorities have imposed a curfew in Kathmandu amid protests.

“We have imposed a curfew which will remain in force until 10 p.m. local time (1615 GMT) to bring the situation under control after protesters began to turn violent,” Muktiram Rijal, a spokesperson for the Kathmandu district office, told Reuters.

The immediate trigger of youth-led protests, being dubbed the ‘Gen Z protest’, is the government’s move to ban 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X, for not complying with the government’s policy.

The AFP has reported that many such platforms have not been accessible in the country since Friday and have affected millions of users who rely on these platforms to run businesses, read news, and stay connected with friends and family.

However, the ban merely brought public’s anger against the government and politicians to the fore that had been there for a long time.