Minutes before Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced his resignation, Gen Z protesters stormed Parliament and set fire to one of the buildings on the premises, plunging the capital into chaos.
Demonstrators also torched Oli’s residence in Balkot, Bhaktapur, and targeted homes of other senior leaders amid ongoing unrest triggered by a since-revoked ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and X.
Visuals from Kathmandu showed thousands of protesters storming the Parliament complex as thick plumes of grey and black smoke filled the skies. Even as the building burned, protesters continued to march forward, chanting slogans and waving flags.
Protesters also breached the Singha Durbar compound—the central administrative complex of Nepal—by breaking through its western gate, which they reportedly set ablaze before forcing their way inside.
Chanting slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (KP thief, leave the country) and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders,” the largely youth-led demonstrations have shaken Kathmandu and beyond.
The unrest escalated further when the residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak in Naikap was torched, a day after he resigned following police crackdowns on young demonstrators.
So far, the protests have left at least 19 people dead and more than 300 others injured, according to officials.
Amid mounting pressure, Oli resigned shortly after demonstrators stormed his office, shouting anti-government slogans. Meanwhile, authorities announced the cancellation of all flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for security reasons. However, officials stressed that the airport itself remains operational.
The protests began after the Oli-led government imposed a blanket ban on social media platforms, citing security concerns. Although the ban was lifted late Monday following public backlash, demonstrations intensified, fueled by anger over the deaths of protesters.
Authorities have since imposed curfews in key areas of Kathmandu to contain the unrest, but violence continues to spread. On Tuesday afternoon, the central office of the Nepali Congress in Sanepa was also vandalised.
