On 9 September 2025, protesters angered by government repression and corruption stormed the Nepalese Federal Parliament Building in Kathmandu.[5][6][7] The protest escalated when the police killed 19 protesters[8] including a 12 year old child[9] on 8 September 2025. The Government of Nepal reversed the decision of banning 26 social media platforms after the widespread demonstration.[10][11]
As of 14 September 2025, sixty protestors,[1] ten prisoners and three policemen died in Nepal during the demonstrations.[3] Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned from his post as the protest turned violent.[12][13] On 12 September 2025, Former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as Nepal's interim prime minister, becoming the first woman to lead the country.[14]
Back in 2019 February, the government registered the 'Information Technology Bill'[15] in Pratinidhi Sabha for discussion.[16] In 2019 December, the development and technology committee of the Pratinidhi Sabha passed the 'Information Technology Bill, 2019' to regulate and control the social media.[17][18] After couple of years of exercise,[19] the government scheduled to proposed the Information Technology bill on April 8, 2021 to Pratinidhi Sabha.[20] The government has taken a step back after backlash from the opposition that the bill is aimed to restrict the freedom of speech.[21] However the Oli cabinet passed the directives from the cabinet on the Social media management[22] on November 9, 2023.[23][24][25] The government also managed to pass Information Technology and Cyber Security Bill 2025[26] unanimously from the Pratinidhi Sabha on 14 August, 2025.[27][28]
The cabinet meeting held on 25 August, 2025 decided to mandatory registration of the foreign social media platform in accordance to Social media management directive 2023.[34][35] The move was taken after the directive issued by the Supreme Court of Nepal, while hearing a contempt case (Case No. 080-CF-0012).[36] The Government issued a public notice on 28 August, 2025 cited to register all the social media platform operating in this country with in next 7 days.[37]
The incident was triggered by the shutdown of 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Signal, and Snapchat by the Government of Nepal on 4 September 2025.[38][39]The government claimed the shutdowns occurred because the platforms failed to register under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology's new rules.[39] After the ban of social media platform, a series of social media posts by the youths highlighting nepotism and focusing on the undue privileges enjoyed by the children and relatives of influential political leaders started trending on the internet.[40][41][42]
The ban on popular social media sites caused confusion across the country. The ban potentially impacted press freedom, tourism industry, and specifically how migrant workers' families could continue to communicate with their relatives working abroad.[43] According to 2021 Nepal census, there were 29 million Nepalese living abroad.[44][45]
Incident
Protesters, many of whom were Gen Z and youth, broke through the police barricade and entered the parliament building on 9 September, 2025.[5][7] This move by the protesters came after the deadly clashes with police, which left 19 dead and around 500 injured on 8 September, 2025.[46] Thousands of protesters broke through police barriers and stormed the compound. Several rooms of the Federal Parliament building were torched, ransacked and cars parked outside were vandalised.[47][48][6][49]
Violent actions targeted several prominent locations in Kathmandu, including the homes of various government ministers and members of parliament, which were set ablaze by protesters. The headquarters of Nepali Congress was vandalized, with party flags stripped and burned.[57]
Casualties
As of 14 September 2025, the total death toll of the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests has risen to 72, including 60 protesters, 9 prisoners, 3 police officers, with more than 1,300 people injured nationwide.[1][58][59]
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