At least 19 dead after youth protests against Nepal social media ban

At least 19 people have been killed and dozens injured in Nepal after demonstrations against a government social media ban led to clashes between protesters and security forces.

Thousands heeded a call by demonstrators describing themselves as Generation Z to gather near the parliament building in Kathmandu over the decision to ban platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube.

Nepal’s Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba told the BBC police had had to use force – which included water cannons, batons and firing rubber bullets.

The government has said social media platforms need to be regulated to tackle fake news, hate speech and online fraud.

But popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal, who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

Demonstrators carried placards with slogans including “enough is enough” and “end to corruption”.

Some said they were protesting against what they called the authoritarian attitude of the government.

As the rally moved into a restricted area close to parliament, some protesters climbed over the wall.

Kathmandu Valley Police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said 17 people were killed in the capital.

“Tear gas and water cannons were used after the protesters breached into the restricted area,” Khanal told the AFP news agency.

A Kathmandu district office spokesperson said a curfew was imposed around areas including the parliament building after protesters attempted to enter.

Two were also killed in the eastern city of Itahari while protesting after the curfew order was announced, local police said.

Nepal Army Spokesman Rajaram Basnet told the BBC that a small unit of soldiers had been deployed in the streets following the introduction of the curfew.

Last week authorities ordered the blocking of 26 social media platforms for not complying with a deadline to register with Nepal’s ministry of communication and information technology.

Since Friday, users have experienced difficulty in accessing the platforms, though some are using VPNs to get around the ban. So far, two platforms have been reactivated after registering with the ministry following the ban.

Nepal’s government has argued it is not banning social media but trying to bring them in line with Nepali law.