Protesters in Nepal surround parliament and clash with police as government blocks social media
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Nepal's capital to express anger over a government decision to block most social media platforms
FILE - The Facebook app icon is seen on a smartphone, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Nepal's capital Monday to vent their anger against a decision by authorities to block most social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying that the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.
Protesters pushed through barbed wires 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.
The situation remained tense and the government announced a curfew for Monday around Parliament, the government secretariat, presidential house and key parts of the city.
“Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving the red and blue national flags. Monday's rally was called the protest of Gen Z, generally referring to people born between 1995 and 2010.
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. Those which failed to register have been blocked since last week.
TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered and operate without interruption.
The move by the authorities came as the government sent a bill for a debate in Parliament that wants to ensure that social platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” It includes asking the companies to appoint a liaison office or point in the country.
The bill has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and punishing government opponents who voice their protests online. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and violate fundamental rights.
Nepal in 2023 banned video-sharing app TikTok in November for disrupting “social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials." The ban was lifted last year after TikTok after its executives pledged to comply with local laws. They include a ban of pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.
