At least 13 dead after youth protests against the ban on Nepalese social media

At least 13 people were killed and dozens were injured in Nepal after demonstrations against a ban on government social media led to clashes between protesters and security forces.

Thousands listened to a call from demonstrators describing themselves as a generation Z to gather near the Parliament building in Kathmandu over the decision to ban platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube.

Nepal’s Minister for Communication Prints Subba said the BBC police need to use force – which includes water cannons, sticks and launching rubber bullets.

The government has said that social media platforms need to be regulated to deal with counterfeit news, hate speech and fraud.

But popular platforms like Instagram have millions of users in Nepal, who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

The demonstrators wore signs with slogans, including “enough” and “end of corruption”.

Some say they protest against what they call the authoritarian attitude of the government.

As the rally moved to a limited area near Parliament, some protesters climbed over the wall.

“Weapons of tears and water cannons were used after protesters were destroyed in the limited area,” police spokesman Shehar Haln told AFP news agency.

A spokesman at Kathmandu District Office said there were a police hour, including the Parliament building, after protesters tried to enter.

Last week, authorities ordered the blocking of 26 social media platforms for not complying with a deadline for registration with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Nepal.

On Friday, users have been experiencing difficulties in access to platforms, although some use VPN to circumvent the ban. So far, two platforms have been reactivated after registration with the ministry after the ban.

The Nepal government claims that it does not prohibit social media, but is trying to bring them into line with Nepalese law.