At least 42 people were injured on Monday as demonstrations led by youths against a Nepal government ban on social media sites intensified in Kathmandu.
In response, authorities imposed a day-long curfew in parts of the capital.
Local media outlets reported one person was killed in the violence, but there was no official confirmation from authorities.
Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms
Thousands of protesters, including school students, marched through Maitighar and Baneshwor areas from early morning, accusing the government of rampant corruption and suppressing freedom of expression by banning the social media platforms.
Waving national flags, young demonstrators started the protest with the national anthem before unleashing chants against the social media prohibitions and corruption.
“Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving the red and blue national flags.
Protesters broke through police barricades and forced riot police to retreat as they surrounded the Parliament building. Police fired tear gas and water cannon but were outnumbered and sought safety inside the Parliament complex.
In response to the escalating violence, the district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president’s residence, and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister’s office.
Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.
About two dozen social network platforms that are widely used in Nepal were repeatedly given notices to register their companies officially in the country, the government said.
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The affected companies were given seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer. Those which failed to register have been blocked since last week.
