In September 2025, protests erupted across Nepal, triggered by a government’s sudden decision to ban major social media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, X and Facebook. What started as a peaceful protest led primarily by frustrated youth quickly spiraled into a week of violence, destruction and death.
At least 19 people were killed, including several university students, and hundreds were injured in clashes with police. The government later lifted the ban, but the damage, both physically and emotionally, had already been done.
For many watching from afar, the scenes from Nepal were heartbreaking. Samyak Pachhai, a sophomore from Nepal studying statistics, described his reaction.
“For me, what’s going on back home in Nepal right now was really surprising and shocking that a protest against a social media ban resulted in the authorities taking the lives of students,” he said. “I was scared for a lot of days in a row for my family back home.” His story is one of many currently unfolding.
While most blame Gen Z for the chaos, pointing fingers at the youth is both inaccurate and unjust. The ban on social media was the immediate trigger, but the roots of the protests went much deeper. Younger people, many of them university students, have long expressed frustration with government corruption, lack of job opportunities, rising taxes and the general stagnation of Nepal’s political system. The ban merely lit the fuse.
“The demonstration, dubbed the ‘Gen Z protests,’ were driven primarily by young people who also voiced anger over corruption,” The Guardian reported.
The protestors also called for greater transparency in public spending, especially after allegations surfaced of taxpayer money being misused by political elites.
According to Pachhai,“The protest was started because of the ongoing corruption in the government where the taxpayers’ money is used by the corrupt leaders for their own personal wealth and life.”
It’s easy to label the destruction that followed as the work of reckless youth, but that narrative doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Pachhai also said, “People who were actively destroying government and public property after the protest on Sept. 8, 2025, were not Gen Z. There are multiple photos online where you can clearly see the people are older.”
That observation is echoed by many social media users and activists on the ground. While Gen Z may have initiated the protest, public anger had clearly spread across age groups, evidence that was not just generational tantrum, but a broader civil uprising.
In fact, according to Time Magazine, the protestors’ demands expanded beyond just lifting the ban. They included the resignation of top officials and the establishment of independent anti-corruption bodies.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of the protest’s aftermath was the police response. At first, security forces used non-lethal methods: tear gas, rubber bullets and batons. Later, there were reports that confirmed that live rounds were fired into the crowds.
Pachhai recalled this escalation of violence. “The police who shot and killed the students were given orders to use rubber bullets, sticks and riot shields,” he said. “But another order came in allowing them to use live rounds. They hunted people down-some just walking home were shot to death thinking they participated.”
The deaths of students, some reportedly not even involved in the violence, have shaken the whole country and promoted widespread mourning. The government’s harsh response only deepened distrust and widened the gap between citizens and those in power.
These protests were not perfect. But they were never just about TikTok. They were about the frustration of a generation and a country tired of being ignored. The destruction of property, while unfortunate, was not unique to Gen Z and should not be used to discredit the entire movement.
Nepal has since appointed its first female Interim Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, following the resignation of the previous government in response to public pressure. Her message was one of healing and reform, but only time will tell if real change follows.
“This wasn’t just a Gen Z protest that happened in Nepal,” Pachhai said. “It was a long problem … with people tired of lack of jobs, tax money going nowhere.”
He’s right. The streets may have quieted, but the demands remain. This movement, like many others around the world, reminds us that protest is a mirror. And what Nepal saw in that mirror was not just a youth unrest, but a country long overdue for accountability.
AJ Pearman can be reached at [email protected].