Nepal witnessed massive protests on Tuesday as thousands of young demonstrators took to the streets, setting fire to government buildings and leaders’ homes. The violence came just a day after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lifted a controversial ban on social media, which had triggered widespread anger across the country.

Protesters torched the private residences of President Ram Chandra Poudel and Prime Minister Oli. They also vandalised the homes of former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Sher Bahadur Deuba, as well as Energy Minister Deepak Khadka.

The mob stormed into the Parliament building in Kathmandu and set it on fire, videos from the scene showed.

The Oli government is facing intense pressure, with ministers stepping down and distancing themselves from the ruling coalition. A curfew has been imposed in parts of Nepal, including the capital, as protesters continue to march through the streets carrying national flags and anti-corruption slogans.

Police were seen attempting to hold back the crowds but refrained from using force after Monday’s violent clashes left at least 19 people dead.

Why are people protesting

While the protests began after Nepal banned social media platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube last week, the unrest has now grown into a broader movement against corruption and nepotism in politics.

Placards with slogans such as “Shut down corruption and not social media” and “Youths against corruption” filled the streets, while hashtags like #NepoKids and #PoliticiansNepoBabyNepal trended online.

"We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed, we are here to seek that justice is done and the present regime is ousted. KP Oli should be chased away," protester Narayan Acharya told the Associated Press.

Another protester, Durganah Dahal, accused the government of violence: "We need to protest the killings of so many young ones and students, aimed directly at their heads by this Hitler-like KP Oli's government. As long as this government is in power, the people like us will continue to suffer."

The crisis began when the government blocked access to major social media platforms after they failed to register under new rules. On Monday, Prime Minister Oli lifted the ban, saying the government was responding to the "demand of Gen-Z."

However, the move failed to calm public anger, as tens of thousands still poured onto the streets. Crowds surrounded Parliament before violence broke out.

Chants of “Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media” echoed across Kathmandu.

The situation has put Prime Minister Oli under enormous pressure, with opposition parties and citizens alike demanding his resignation.

As NDTV reports, Monday’s rally was widely described as the protest of Gen Z, referring to those born between 1996 and 2010, a generation now at the forefront of Nepal’s political upheaval.