Nepali PM forced to step down, parliament torched amid deadly protests | Protests News

Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been forced to step down after a wave of anticorruption protests left 19 people dead and more than 100 injured, but tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets, blocking roads and setting fires to parliament and other government buildings.

“In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution,” Oli wrote in his letter to President Ramchandra Paudel on Tuesday after his administration was blamed for the bloodiest outbreaks of unrest in a decade.

Defying an indefinite curfew, thousands of young Nepalis returned to the streets of Kathmandu on Tuesday, demanding change and clashing with riot police. Some protesters set fire to government buildings.

The demonstrations – called the protest of Gen Z – erupted after the government blocked platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.

But the protests spiralled to reflect broader discontent. In particular, many young people are angry that the children of political leaders – so-called “nepo kids” – seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work.

On Tuesday, despite the government rolling back its order and the apps returning online, protests reignited, spreading from the capital to multiple cities nationwide.

“The Nepal government has fallen, the youth have won the protest,” said key protest figure Sudan Gurung, in a post on newly restored Instagram. “The future is ours.”

President Ram Chandra Poudel, the ceremonial head of state, appealed to the protesters to engage in discussions to find a peaceful resolution and stop further escalation.

In a video message, Nepalese army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel urged protesters to stop the demonstrations to prevent further loss of lives and property and to come forward for dialogue.

Nepal’s struggle with weak governance

The upheaval is the most serious since 2008, when street demonstrations brought down Nepal’s centuries-old monarchy.

Despite democratic reforms, the Himalayan nation of 30 million has struggled with weak governance and endemic corruption. Economic opportunities remain scarce, forcing millions of Nepalis to seek work abroad in Gulf states, South Korea and Malaysia, sending money home to sustain their families.

With youth unemployment running at about 20 percent last year, according to the World Bank, the government estimates that more than 2,000 young people leave the country every day to seek work in the Middle East or Southeast Asia.

Oli, 73, had been in office for his fourth term since July last year, becoming the 14th prime minister in the post-monarchy era. Two cabinet ministers resigned late on Monday, citing “moral grounds.”

Witnesses said protesters torched tyres, hurled stones, and set fire to the homes of several politicians.

Local media reported that military helicopters evacuated ministers from besieged houses. Crowds also ransacked the prime minister’s residence and set alight the Singha Durbar government complex, which includes parliament and key ministries.

Footage circulating on social media showed former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, along with Foreign Minister Arzu Rana and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, being attacked by demonstrators before soldiers intervened.

The United Nations rights chief, Volker Turk, said he was “appalled” by the violence and called for talks.

Those appeals did not seem to be heeded.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the headquarters of a major publisher – the Kantipur Media Group – was burning, and called on “protesters not to target journalists”.

Kathmandu’s airport remains open, but some flights were cancelled after smoke from fires affected visibility, airport spokesperson Rinji Sherpa said.