In Nepal, “police mercilessly shot protesters”
Thousands of young Nepalese took to the streets on Monday, September 8, to protest the social media ban. Anger had been brewing for several weeks, notably through the online campaign “Nepo Kid,” which targeted the children of politicians accused of living off corruption. The Prime Minister announced his resignation.
"Nepal has lifted a ban on social media after it led to clashes between protesters and police that left at least 19 people dead , " the BBC reported on its website on Tuesday, September 9.
The day before, thousands of young people stormed the parliament building in Kathmandu, the capital, to demand that the government lift its ban on 26 social media sites, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and to fight corruption. The Chinese social media site TikTok had already been banned by the government in November 2023, before being reauthorized in August 2024.
Kathmandu police used water cannons, batons, and rubber bullets, but also fired live ammunition at protesters, according to a video posted on the YouTube channel of the US news agency Associated Press . More than 400 people were injured . The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, quoted by the South Morning China Post , called for a "prompt and transparent investigation" into the violence.
Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli said he was “deeply saddened” by the violence and the number of casualties, blaming the day’s events on “infiltration of d
Courrier International
