When Peace Turns to Chaos: The Aftermath of Gen Z Protests in Nepal

This article was written with the precious insights and contribution of our member Prabesh Raj Joshi director of the Asian Academy for Peace, Research and Development (AAPRD), a Nepal based non-profit organisation whose work focuses on peacebuilding and conflict transformation, gender and social inclusions, community development and governance. You can learn more about their work on their website. 

A Rising Discontent: From “NepoKid” to National Outcry

The violent protests that erupted in Nepal on September 8th, 2025, and which raised much attention from the international community for their violence, did not happen in a vacuum. A social media trend known as the ‘NepoKid’ or ‘NepoBaby’ movement was going viral on TikTok and Reddit, where young people were criticising how the children of political leaders and their elite associates showcase their luxurious lifestyles and substantial privileges. The trend originated as a way to raise awareness on corruption within the government and the unequal living conditions and job opportunities of the youth population in all provinces of Nepal (in which working class young people struggle to meet basic everyday needs). It also sought to shed light on the economic drain caused by taxation inequality. According to the World Bank, 20.85% of Nepalis aged 15 to 24 were unemployed in 2024, a figure which has driven many young people abroad in search of work that often fails to match their education or skills. In this climate of economic disillusionment and frustration, the government’s sudden decision to restrict access to social media was seen as the final straw.

A Digital Blackout: Silencing a Generation

On September 4th, 26 social media platforms (including Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn) were abruptly shut down by the government, causing a major communication disruption across the country, which had dramatic effects on young people’s ability to perform at work. Officially, the shutdown happened after these platforms refused to comply to register under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology’s new rules, but most of the young population believed that its intention was to shut down the NepoKid movement; a direct attack on their freedom of expression, a shrinking of their civic space, and an open disregard for their anger and concerns on the part of the government. In response, young activists migrated to Discord, transforming it into a digital forum for coordination, debate, and strategic planning. Discussions on the future leadership of the interim government when Gen Z representatives were invited to discuss their ideas at the Nepal Army Headquarters also took place on it.  

Amid all this, experts are raising the alarm on the overuse of social media and its influence on such political and dramatic events. Although it has its benefits, it needs to be accompanied with a high level of awareness on how misinformation and disinformation can spread quickly and fuel panic and anger. A report from Cyabra published in September 2025 examining the activity of inauthentic profiles amplifying the protest discourses on X, warned on how fake profiles have strategically used hashtags on targeted narratives to manipulate and influence real users' decisions regarding operations and their perception of the movement. The report stresses how social media operates as a new battlefield generating sharp moral divide. Platforms which can be highly sensitive to manipulative and intrusive  mechanisms of perversion. 

Nonetheless, the ability of the younger generation to regain their civic space has been observed in numerous conflicts worldwide and demonstrates the adaptability of grassroots movements, despite aggressive measures taken by governments to shut down their voices and leverage social media for mass mobilization.

When Peace Turns to Chaos

The protest started as a peaceful movement to expose the arrogance and ignorance of the government. Numerous local leaders participated, and people gathered in all 7 provinces of Nepal, showcasing the scale and the depth of the movement. The atmosphere shifted after security forces opened fire on the crowds, as protesters began to storm the parliament to set it on fire, and invaded the Supreme Court and numerous government representatives’ houses. Later that day, the CDO (Chief District Officer) of Kathmandu District Administration Office, called upon the army to restore nationwide calm and security. Nonetheless, 21 casualties occurred and more than 400 people were injured. During that time, UN Secretary General Atonio Guterres urged the army to restraint and “call on the authorities to comply with human rights law” as the situation was rapidly getting out of control.

According to Prabesh (director of the Asian Academy for Peace Research and Development), the violence reflected deep divisions within the movement itself.  He explained that “The leadership wanted peaceful dialogue, but anger and frustration overwhelmed some participants, who turned to destruction as an expression of their pain. There was a split between those seeking reform and those demanding revolution.”

A Political Shakeup: KP Sharma Oli’s resignation

In the aftermath of the escalation of violence and the intervention by the army, Gen Z leaders and active NGOs representatives in the movement were invited to talk for the first time with the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashok Raj Sigdel to bring back peaceful negotiations and dialogue. As an outcome of their discussion, an interim cabinet was established which will focus on the upcoming election in March 2026, and former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed new Prime Minister.

While the resignation was perceived as a victory by some, many protesters remained skeptical. “The government’s actions were seen as reactive and arrogant rather than transformative,” said Prabesh. In fact, since 2015, Nepal’s government has been extremely unstable and was subject to eight successive changes between leaders of the three major parties. The population has  criticized a system in which they feel excluded and disconnected from the three main political parties in place, who they accuse of failure to commit to their ‘pretended’ ideologies.

Younger generations are asking for  real dialogue, and they want their requests to be heard: the end of corruption and nepotism, and a reform of the country’s political system to create a genuine republic based on fair electoral democratic elections.

Although the “people’s war” of 2008 brought an end to the monarchy and was hoped to end oppression and elite domination, the movement’s leaders, who subsequently joined the ruling class, quickly turned their back on their revolutionary ideals and corruption overshadowed the new system. Today, some groups in the Gen Z movement want to go further and reform the Constitution, a complicated step forward as this idea remains controversial due to  the multi-ethnic and diverse religious and political landscape of Nepal.

Rebuilding Dialogue: The Path Forward

During our exchange, Prabesh highlighted the gap which remains between the younger generations and the government, which he sees as a barrier to constructive dialogue. Asian Academy, alongside other organisations working toward restoring dialogue and upholding the voice of the youth, seek to strengthen civil society’s role in raising collective ideas and gather more people for peacebuilding work.

He acknowledged two main obstacles to this cohesion. First, NGOs influenced by political parties and focusing on specific political influencers to secure financing, make it difficult to create a platform bringing all members of civil society together. To bypass this dynamic, Asian Academy works with organisations that have been established for many years as pillars of peacebuilding for communities and are not considered ‘corrupted’. The second obstacle is the internal conflict within the Gen Z movement, between its representatives (many of whom are in their 30s) and its younger members. The movement’s voice is far from unified, as younger participants feel that their leaders have shown insufficient initiative. This disconnect further complicates discussions between the government and protest leaders, since their opinions and demands are not always aligned. In such a fragile context, achieving internal coherence is a crucial prerequisite for meaningful dialogue.

On November 20-21, 2025, the Fourth Nepal Dialogue Summit will be held. It is a collective initiative of more than 35 local and national NGOs dedicated to promoting a culture of dialogue in Nepal. Since 2021, this network, known as the Nepal Dialogue Initiative, has been working to foster and institutionalize dialogue as a means of sustaining peace and transforming conflict across the country. Rooted in Nepal’s organic traditions of dialogue, the Initiative emphasizes inclusive, community-driven approaches to resolving differences and building understanding. It plays a vital role in advancing the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda by offering a structured, collaborative, and credible platform to amplify young people’s voices ensuring that they are taken seriously by decision makers.

According to Prabesh this summit is more relevant than ever as it will explore pathways for peaceful negotiation and societal transformation. He remains optimistic amid this chaos, but stresses that much more needs to be done to make sure that political leaders prioritise human rights and encourage trust from the population rather than merely focusing on their own parties’ interests.

Nearly 19 years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord on November 21, 2006, Nepal’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) still represents one of the few opportunities to address the pain and injustice experienced by victims of the conflict. It offers a chance to reopen dialogue, acknowledge suffering, and provide meaningful support to those affected. However, much of this work remains unfinished. Prabesh believes that now is a crucial moment to strengthen the practice of peacebuilding, by bringing these conversations into communities, identifying the gaps that remain, and connecting efforts between generations to ensure that justice, reconciliation, and local initiatives are sustained.

A Vulnerable Movement in a Fragile Setting 

The movement began as a "faceless and leaderless collective," a common characteristic of digitally mobilized movements. However, successful electoral politics requires centralized and identifiable leadership. This reality portrays a significant vulnerability for the movement.

Nepal’s interim government now faces a critical test of credibility and legitimacy. It must move forward efficiently with the announced investigations into state excesses, which led to the loss of 76 people during the protests, and into high-profile corruption cases involving former political leaders. Failure to deliver fair and transparent prosecutions will almost certainly be perceived as a continuation of neglect and oppression. 

If key stakeholders, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and state institutions, fail to engage proactively and constructively, Nepal could face another period of social and political unrest. Gen Z protest leaders and participants are unwilling to accept the government’s failure to uphold their commitments on the development of a proactive and inclusive dialogue in hope for a peaceful future, and warn for a continuity of the protests’ intensity and violence if the impunity remains. 

A Generation Demanding Change

The GenZ movement is fueling rebellion and change across borders. As protests break out in Morocco, Madagascar, Peru, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, we see young people taking over the streets to express their discontent towards their governing authorities and to reclaim their right to justice and inclusion. Are we seeing the emergence of a new political world, in which social media is the central point for the coordination and advocacy of demonstrations and a platform of expression for political ideas and will to reform? Younger generations no longer wish to be kept silent and to suffer the burden of corruption, silence, opacity and oppression. 

Sustained efforts in dialogue and peacebuilding are vital to addressing the challenges driving Nepal’s Generation Z movement, as they offer a constructive and inclusive means to resolve deep-rooted grievances that transcend short-term political shifts. Multi-stakeholder dialogues (bringing together youth, civil society, government, and political actors) can help translate broad calls for “systemic change” and “anti-corruption” into actionable reforms in employment, education, and governance.
To achieve enduring reform, the movement must go beyond protest, embracing peacebuilding approaches centered on conflict prevention, mediation, and de-escalation. Such structured processes not only channel youth activism into nonviolent, democratic engagement but also integrate social, economic, and political priorities, ensuring that systemic transformation is both sustainable and resilient.

As Nepal stands at a crossroads, the challenge lies not only in rebuilding institutions but in restoring dialogue by creating a space where young people can voice their hopes, frustrations, and ideas without fear or division. Only within this space can the country’s fractured sentiments begin to heal, and where a new generation might reclaim the promise of a more just and inclusive Nepal. The future will not be decided in silence, but in the courage of youth to speak, listen, imagine and bridge the gap between generations. It is hoped that peace will prevail when these dialogues are embarked upon.