The protests in Nepal in early September, which resulted in more than 70 deaths and led to the downfall of the prime minister KP Sharma Oli, were a response to several issues that have affected the country for years, and especially the Gen Z population.

The biggest problem is corruption, which has long been rampant in the political and bureaucratic system of Nepal and has caused growing anger and frustration among the public.

Members of the Gen Z generation even launched an online campaign against corruption. It was widely shared across numerous social media platforms, including Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and TikTok.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), a government body that is supposed to investigate and stop corruption in Nepal, has also been mired in controversy due to political appointments.

Nepotism is another major problem and source of resentment in Nepal. There has been a backlash against people known as “nepo babies” or “nepo kids”. “This is not fair because people do the hard work, but the politicians and their daughters and sons get the benefits,” said Krishna Manandhar, 25.

Finally, there is a long-standing unemployment – and underemployment – crisis. The country’s economy relies heavily on remittances from Nepalese working overseas because of the lack of jobs within the country, especially for young people.

The apps were given a seven-day deadline to register with the government or be banned if they did not comply. TikTok, Viber and a few other apps did register and therefore were not banned.

The restrictions on social media prevented people from using these tools for communication or even to share their frustration. People weren’t able to contact their loved ones who lived overseas.

Subsequently, Gen Z announced a protest on 8 September against widespread corruption and the social media ban.

During the demonstration, some protesters told Harbingers’ Magazine that they just wanted the government to correct its course. “Our future is being hijacked in this country,” said a group of high school students. “We have already planned to leave this country after high school.”

The demonstrators gathered peacefully in Kathmandu on 8 September. They could be seen dancing, chanting slogans and carrying placards against nepo babies and corruption.

However, the protest turned violent as police relentlessly attacked the young people agitating against corruption. The casualties included 19 killings on the day, spiking to a total of 76 with more than 2,100 injured.