What triggered fresh Gen Z protests in Nepal? Protesters clashed with KP Oli’s party after…

Nepal Gen Z protest: Curfew was reimposed in Nepal’s Bara district, near the India(BHARAT)n border, on Thursday after 10 people were injured in violent clashes between Gen Z protesters and ousted prime minister K P Sharma Oli’s CPN-UML party.

Why fresh Gen Z protests erupted in Nepal?

The clashes between Gen Z youth and KP Oli’s party in Nepal’s southern Bara district first erupted on Wednesday after news of CPN-UML general secretary Shankar Pokharel and party youth leader Mahesh Basnet taking off from Kathmandu for Simara for addressing an anti-government rally spread amongst Gen Z members.

Soon, Gen Z protesters gathered at the airport to oppose their arrival, triggering clashes with local CPN-UML cadres, following which curfew was imposed around the airport area to bring the situation under control, while UML leaders cancelled the rally.

Police said two UML cadres, ward chairpersons—Dhan Bahadur Shrestha of Jeetpursimara Ward No 2 and Kaimoddin Ansari of Ward No 6, have been arrested on charges of assaulting Gen Z youths during Wednesday’s clashes. The arrests were made following a complaint filed against the UML leaders at the Area Police Office, Simara.

CPN-UML, the party of deposed former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has been organising protests across Nepal demanding reinstatement of the House of Representatives, which dissolved on September 12 following the Gen Z movement that toppled the Oli-led government. Oli had resigned on September 9 following the massive Gen Z protests.

What are Gen Z protesters demanding?

Gen Z activists have sought action over the alleged mass killing of protesters on September 9 during demonstrations against corruption and the then proposed social media ban under the now-deposed Oli administration.

Following Oli’s ouster, the Gen-Z group who spearheaded the Nepal Gen-Z protests, had demanded the deposed PM’s arrest for his alleged role in ordering the September 8 shootout that killed 19 agitators, including a 12-year-old school boy, when the police allegedly opened fire on protesters during the anti-government protests.

The Gen Z group also demanded that the wealth of all high-ranking leaders and government officials since 1990 must be investigated by a high-level probe commission.

How fresh clashes unfolded on Thursday?

Meanwhile, tensions surged in Bara district on Thursday as Gen Z protesters hit the streets a day after clashing with cadres of Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML).  The Gen Z youth gathered at Simara Chowk from 11 am, while the administration had imposed a curfew from 1 pm to 8 pm to calm the situation.

The protesters defied the curfew and clashed with the police, accusing the cops of failing to arrest individuals named in their complaint over Wednesday’s clashes with Oli’s party.

“Prohibitory order failed to take effect, with demonstrators pouring into the streets and clashing with police. Authorities fired six tear gas canisters and two rounds of aerial fire after protesters defied the curfew and continued advancing. Protesters also pelted stones at security forces, injuring six police personnel, while four Gen-Z protesters were also reported injured,” according to news portal Khabarhub.

In another incident, the Gen Z protesters torched a police beat in Simara Bazaar, the news portal said, adding, “Items from the UML office were also removed and torched by protesters, accusing police of hesitating to arrest UML cadres involved in earlier clashes.”

(With inputs from agencies)