TikTok closed - and suddenly the whole of Nepal is on fire

Image: Instagram @er.jitendra_roy

Social media ban triggers mass protests

What began with the click of a mouse ended in chaos: when Nepal's government unceremoniously blocked TikTok, Instagram and other social networks, tens of thousands took to the streets. Within a few days, the country was plunged into a state of emergency - with at least 20 dead, hundreds injured, burning government buildings and a resigned prime minister.

What exactly happened? The government wanted to force large platforms to register and monitor - supposedly to protect national security. However, the population, especially young people from the so-called Gen Z, saw this as a direct attack on their freedom of expression. The response was prompt: protest marches, occupied streets, slogans against corruption - and ultimately violence.

State of emergency in the Himalayan state

Kathmandu has resembled a fortress for days. Military patrols, curfews, sirens at night. The government speaks of "anarchic groups" that are said to have mingled with the protesters - with attacks, looting and even attempted rapes. What began as a political statement against censorship quickly developed into a brutal uprising against the entire system.

The people's anger is hitting a nerve: corruption, nepotism and an out-of-touch government apparatus have eaten deep into the everyday lives of the Nepalese in recent years. TikTok was apparently just the last straw that broke the camel's back.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli pulled the ripcord - and resigned. But even after that, the violence continued. Even the lifting of the social media restrictions did not bring calm.

When a generation fights back - with smartphones and street battles

What makes these protests so special is that the driving force is a young, digitally connected generation. Many of the protesters are under 25 and organize themselves via VPNs, messengers and platforms that were actually already blocked. They are not only demanding free internet access, but also genuine political reforms.

It is a revolution of a new kind - less organized, but all the more powerful. While old elites still believe that social media are just toys for teenagers, this generation has long been using them as a weapon against an entrenched system.

The powerful doubt the power of social media

Anyone who bans TikTok will not reap peace, but resistance. The power of the internet cannot simply be switched off like a light switch. And if a government believes that control over social media is control over the truth - then it has understood neither the one nor the other.