Unrest has killed at least 14 people and injured dozens in Nepal’s capital, as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters trying to storm parliament in anger at a social media shutdown and corruption.
According to a local official on Monday, some protesters forced their way into the parliament complex by breaking through a barricade, setting fire to an ambulance, hurling objects at riot police and ferrying the injured to hospital on motorcycles.
Organisers of the protests, which spread to other cities in the Himalayan country, have called them “demonstrations by Gen Z”, saying the protests reflect young people’s widespread frustration with the government and anger over its policies.
A government decision to block access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, last week has fuelled anger among the young. About 90% of Nepal’s 30 million people use the internet.
“This is the protest by the new generation in Nepal,” a protester said.
Officials said they imposed the ban because platforms had failed to register with authorities in a crackdown on misuse, including fake social media accounts used to spread hate speech and fake news, and commit fraud.
Muktiram Rijal, a spokesperson for the Kathmandu district office, told Reuters that police had orders to use water cannons, batons and rubber bullets to control the crowd and the army has been deployed in the area of the protests to bolster law enforcement officers.
He said the curfew, which will remain in force until 10 p.m. local time (1615 GMT), had been extended to Kathmandu’s Singha Durbar area, which includes the prime minister’s office and other government buildings.
According to Nepal Television, more than 50 people were injured. However, there has not been any official confirmation of the deaths and injuries and Reuters could not independently verify the figures.
