Event Summary
On 8–9 September 2025, youth-led “Gen Z” protests over corruption and the government’s move to block 26 social media platforms escalated nationwide. Security forces used water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and, in multiple locations, live rounds. Media and hospital reports confirm at least 22 fatalities and more than 500 injuries, many of them students, with numbers continuing to rise as hospitals release updated figures. Despite curfews, unrest intensified on 9 September, with arson and vandalism targeting key government sites including the Parliament building, the Singha Durbar complex, and several political leaders’ residences. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, citing a need for a constitutional resolution amid the crisis.
Authorities lifted the social-media ban on 8–9 September, but protests broadened into an anti-corruption movement with calls for accountability and reform. Reporting also points to large-scale prison breaks: some outlets confirm at least 1,500 prisoners escaped, including high-profile political figures, while others cite unverified numbers as high as 13,500. The Nepal Army announced on 10 September that it had assumed command of security operations and enforced a nationwide curfew.
Taken together, these developments represent a severe deterioration of the enabling environment. Lethal crowd control and arbitrary violence against protesters undermine freedoms of assembly and expression; curfews and digital restrictions chill civic participation; arson and attacks on institutions erode public trust and rule-of-law guarantees; mass prison breaks highlight a breakdown in state authority; and the leadership crisis complicates state openness and responsiveness to civil society. The deterioration is systemic and nationwide, with Kathmandu Valley as the epicenter but major cities such as Pokhara, Butwal, and Biratnagar also heavily affected. Nepali civil society organizations have publicly condemned the crackdown, though most prefer not to be quoted directly for security reasons.