Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Nepal and in a forceful act overthrew the former government. What began as anger over a ban on social media, quickly spread into one of the largest demonstrations that Nepal ever experienced.
According to The Guardian, thousands of Gen-Z protesters went on the streets to simply demand the withdrawal of the social media ban and to end the corruption in the country. Within days, the movement led to the abdication of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli, the dissolution of the parliament and the appointment of Nepal’s first female Prime Minister.
The new female interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki is a former judge respected for her outspoken opinion against corruption.
As BBC reported, Karki was elected in early September by leading protesters and the President. Now she will lead an interim government that will guide the country until elections scheduled for March 2026.
Brad Augustine, an English teacher at San Domenico School who has visited Nepal multiple times, reflected on the community’s choice.
“It sounded like she was selected by a number of people because of the respect that they had for her,”Augustine said, proving that Karki’s election is more than a political milestone for many.
“The fact that this individual is a female in a country that’s never had that is always a good thing […] it opens up different ways of thought,” Augustine said.
Madison Williams, who teaches Government and Civics at San Domenico, expressed her “big takeaway” as being more about the people getting involved. “I think it’s one of the first big global Gen Z–led shifts in government,”Williams said, referring to the international attention of the Gen-Z leading role in the current events.
Moreover is Williams valuing that these protests are symptomatic of larger socio economic struggles that pertain to people of many different ages.
Williams further raised questions about the election process when the election used the social media platform Discord to help select Karki as president; Williams expressed concerns about accessibility to take part in this election. “I would not recommend discord is used […] free and fair and accessible elections are so important.”
The reason for the demonstrations is not just angered young protesters, but deeper issues. According to The Guardian, the protests were fueled by economic disparity and allegations of corruption.
Augustine explained that this kind of unrest is basically inevitable when inequality comes to surface.
“You can’t push down the person who doesn’t have much because they have nothing else to fight with,”Augustine said. “Eventually, they’re going to push back.”
Karki’s interim government now faces big challenges: rebuilding trust, maintaining law and order and preparing a credible election. Yet, there is also cautious optimism.
“A large faction of the Nepalese people have spoken, and I would caution that it’s essential for (the government) […] to listen,” Williams said.
