Nine people were killed, while several others were injured, after Nepal Police fired tear gas on Monday to disperse thousands of protesters, who had gathered demanding that the government lift its ban on social media.
Several social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X, have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered sites, triggering anger and confusion among citizens.
The ban quickly spilled onto the streets of Kathmandu, where young demonstrators waving national flags launched protests by singing the national anthem before raising slogans against the social media prohibitions and corruption.
The demonstrations intensified as the crowd pushed into a restricted zone near the parliament, with some protesters climbing over the compound wall. Clashes broke out soon after, leading to multiple injuries. Ranjana Nepal, an information officer at the nearby Civil Hospital, confirmed that their emergency ward was packed with people hurt during the unrest.
“Tear gas and water cannons were used after the protestors breached into the restricted area,” police spokesman Shekhar Khanal told AFP. “Many on both sides are injured.”
The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president’s residence and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister’s office.
