Why Are Gen Z Protesting Again in Nepal? Check Details As Young Protesters Clash With CPN-UML Members
Nepal’s Gen Z activists, who powered the September revolt, are back on the streets, protesting what they say is continued police inaction, political provocation by UML leaders, and frustration with the slow pace of reforms promised by the interim government.
Kathmandu, November 20: Tensions flared once more in Nepal on Thursday, November 20, as fresh clashes between young anti-establishment protesters and supporters of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) forced authorities to reimpose a daytime curfew in several districts. The renewed unrest comes barely two months after the deadly Gen-Z-led uprising that toppled the KP Sharma Oli government.
In brief, Nepal’s Gen Z activists, who powered the September revolt, are back on the streets, protesting what they say is continued police inaction, political provocation by UML leaders, and frustration with the slow pace of reforms promised by the interim government. Their anger reignited after police detained only two UML workers despite nearly a dozen allegedly being involved in the November 19 confrontation. Discord App Used by Gen Z Protesters To ‘Vote’ on Nepal’s Next PM: What It Is and How It Works.
Why Nepal Gen Z Are Protesting Again?
The latest flare-up began in Simara on Wednesday, November 19, when young demonstrators and UML cadres held simultaneous rallies, leading to scuffles that quickly spread toward the airport area. The tensions escalated further after news broke that UML general secretary Shankar Pokharel and youth leader Mahesh Basnet were flying in from Kathmandu for an anti-government event. As their Buddha Air flight prepared to depart, protesters gathered at the airport to confront UML supporters, prompting security agencies to enforce immediate restrictions.
Bara District Magistrate Dharmendra Kumar Mishra ordered a curfew from 1 pm to 8 pm, saying it was necessary to “prevent further escalation” and stabilise the situation. Nepal Protests: Indian Borders on High Alert Following Violent Protests in Crisis-Hit Nation; Security Forces Instructed To Remain on Maximum Alert and Intensify Vigil.
The violent Gen-Z-led protests of September, triggered initially by outrage over a proposed social-media ban but fuelled by long-running resentment over corruption, unemployment, and inequality, are at the backdrop of these newfound tensions. The demonstrations left at least 51 people dead and more than 1,300 injured, eventually forcing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
Sushila Karki, Nepal’s former Chief Justice and now the country’s first woman Prime Minister, took charge soon after. She declared those killed in the September unrest as “martyrs” and ordered a judicial inquiry into alleged murders, arson, and coordinated attacks that took place during the riots, acts she suggested were part of a broader conspiracy.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 20, 2025 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).