On September 13, 2025, a cautious calm settled over Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, and its neighboring cities as authorities lifted a days-long curfew. The move came just one day after the Himalayan nation swore in its first woman prime minister, Sushila Karki, following a week of violent protests that left at least 51 people dead and toppled the government. The events have signaled not just a political crisis, but a generational reckoning for Nepal’s youth, who took to the streets in unprecedented numbers to demand change.
According to Associated Press and Newsweek, the unrest began on Monday, September 8, when the government abruptly banned major social media platforms—Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube—citing their failure to register and submit to new governmental oversight. For many young Nepalis, the ban was the last straw after years of frustration over corruption, lack of economic opportunity, and the visible privileges enjoyed by the so-called “nepo kids”—children of political leaders who, in the words of protesters, “enjoy luxurious lifestyles while most youth struggle to find work.”
The protests, quickly dubbed the “protest of Gen Z,” escalated with lightning speed. Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur. What started as peaceful rallies soon turned violent as protesters attacked government buildings, set fire to the parliament and the presidential residence, and clashed with police. The authorities responded with water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. Police confirmed that many of the dead were protesters killed by gunfire, while several inmates died attempting to break out of prisons during the chaos. Three police officers also lost their lives.
Despite the government rescinding the social media ban after just a few days, the unrest continued, fueled by deeper grievances. As reported by Newsweek, the demonstrations were “far more than a protest against social media censorship or a single prime minister’s regime—it’s a generational reckoning against a culture of political impunity in the South Asian region as a whole.” The decentralized, leaderless nature of the protests made them both powerful and difficult for authorities to suppress or negotiate with.
By Tuesday night, September 9, the situation had deteriorated so rapidly that then-Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli resigned and fled his official residence. The army was deployed to restore order, taking control of the streets as negotiations began between protesters, military leaders, and President Ram Chandra Poudel over the formation of an interim government. That same night, a strict curfew was imposed, confining residents to their homes except for a few hours each day to purchase food and supplies. Grocery stores saw long lines, and some citizens used their limited time outside to visit religious sites, seeking solace in ritual amid the turmoil.
On September 12, President Poudel dissolved parliament and named Sushila Karki, aged 73 and a former Supreme Court Chief Justice, as Nepal’s interim prime minister. Karki was a popular figure during her tenure as the court’s only female chief justice in 2016 and 2017, earning a reputation for her firm stance against corruption. The move was widely seen as a gesture to appease the protesters, many of whom had called for a clean break from the entrenched political elite.
Karki was sworn in later that day, becoming Nepal’s first woman to hold the office of prime minister. On her first day in power, she visited the Civil Hospital in Kathmandu to meet with protesters recovering from gunshot wounds. According to Associated Press, she pledged, “I will work with everything I have,” to an injured protester—a moment that was widely shared on social media and covered by local and international outlets alike. She did not speak to reporters outside the hospital, but her visit was interpreted as a symbolic gesture of solidarity with the movement that had shaken the country to its core.
The scale of the violence shocked the nation. According to police and hospital sources cited by AP and Newsweek, at least 51 people were killed over the course of the week. Most were young protesters, but the dead also included inmates who died during attempted prison breaks and three police officers. The destruction was widespread: the parliament building, the presidential residence, and numerous businesses were set ablaze in scenes reminiscent of past political upheavals in the region.
International response was swift. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk wrote on X, “I am appalled by escalating violence in #Nepal, which has left many young protesters dead or injured. Reports of the disproportionate use of force by the authorities need to be urgently investigated. Dialogue—not violence—is the way forward.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, quoted by The Hindu, expressed his distress: “My heart is extremely disturbed by the fact that many young people have lost their lives. Nepal’s stability, peace and prosperity are of utmost importance.”
As the dust settled, the government announced that new parliamentary elections would be held on March 5, 2026. The most recent legislative elections had taken place in 2022, but the events of the past week had rendered the previous government untenable. The appointment of Karki and the promise of new elections were seen as attempts to restore order and legitimacy, but the underlying issues—corruption, lack of opportunity, and generational frustration—remain unresolved.
Rudabeh Shahid, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, told Newsweek, “The movement’s leaderless, decentralized nature, as well as the mass participation by the youth, makes it both powerful and unwieldy. While that makes it harder for the state to suppress, it also complicates how political negotiations can proceed meaningfully.”
For now, Kathmandu’s streets are returning to normal. Markets have reopened, traffic flows once more, and the heavy presence of the army has receded. Volunteers have begun cleaning up vandalized police stations and government offices. Yet, beneath the surface, the sense of possibility—and uncertainty—lingers. Nepal’s youth, emboldened by their collective action, are watching closely to see if their demands for accountability and opportunity will finally be met.
The coming months will determine whether Sushila Karki’s interim government can channel the energy of the protest movement into meaningful reform, or whether the cycle of unrest and disappointment will continue. For a nation perched between tradition and transformation, the stakes have rarely felt higher.