Nepal had an intense couple of weeks as anti-corruption protests were put on display when their government’s Parliament and Supreme Court buildings were set on fire.
While corruption in Nepal has existed for decades, a wide-scale social media ban was the smoking gun.
On Sept. 4, the Nepali government declared a ban across multiple popular social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, saying that they could not take down content the government deemed “undesirable.”
This ban immediately sparked outrage, largely belonging to Gen Z. This decision kicked off the protests for the coming days.
Protesters would take the fight to the front of parliament on Sept. 8, demanding the ban be revoked, and the government sent police to stop them. Nineteen people were killed and hundreds more injured, leading to more outrage.
The government lifted the ban after the killings, but the damage had already been done. The next day, protesters set fire to public streets, government buildings, and politicians’ homes. The prime minister resigned and left the country by escaping in a helicopter, along with other important Nepali figures.
While many of these protests seem like standard methods, one big difference can be found when compared to other revolutions in history.
TikTok, one of the few popular apps that was not banned, was used to communicate ongoing protests and vandalism. Thousands of videos were created, some gaining millions of likes, spreading awareness to the topic.
The “Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger” flag, originating from the franchise “One Piece”, was flown by protesters as a symbol of fighting oppression. This flag has been used in other protests in France and the Philippines.
After the dust settled, rather than setting up a traditional voting system, Gen Z elected their new prime minister Sushila Karki on Discord. A poll was set up with multiple figures to choose from, including a “Random Nepali” option for those wanting a true fresh start.
This protest shows that while many aspects of the world have changed, people are still finding new ways to deal with corruption. Utilizing pop culture and social media, the population of Nepal was able to dismantle their old government in a fight for liberation.
