In less than two days, a youth protest against digital censorship turned into an uprising that has left Nepal without a government, with the army in the streets and more than twenty dead, according to hospital and media data.
This is the timeline of how the chaos that has paralyzed the Himalayan country unfolded.
Thursday, September 4: Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's government orders the blocking of 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. The move comes amid a viral TikTok campaign known as"Nepo Kid," which exposed corruption among the political elite. The ban is being seen as an act of direct censorship.
9:00 AM : Thousands of young people, many in school uniforms, gather peacefully in Kathmandu to march towards Parliament.
11:00 AM : Tensions are rising at the Parliament barricades in New Baneshwar. Police respond to the crowd pressure first with water cannons and tear gas.
Midday : The situation escalates dramatically. The police crack down on protesters. Videos of young people being shot dead begin circulating online.
Afternoon/Night: The death toll is confirmed at 19 dead and more than 300 injured. Police use tear gas, even inside a hospital treating the victims. In response to the massacre, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigns.
The revolt becomes irreversible.
Tomorrow: Defying the curfew, violence escalates. The targets are symbols of the state and the political class. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigns and is evacuated by the army.
Midday/Afternoon : A wave of attacks erupts. The Federal Parliament, the Singha Durbar administrative complex, the Nepali Congress headquarters, and the offices of the country's largest media group are set ablaze.
Throughout the day: The private residences of Oli and the communications minister are set on fire. Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is physically attacked. The wife of former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal dies in a house fire. The death toll rises to at least 25.
Afternoon/Night : The prison system collapses. Mobs of protesters storm prisons across the country, freeing more than 2,000 inmates. Opposition leader Rabi Lamichhane is released from Nakhu prison.
Wednesday, September 10: The New Military Order
Tomorrow: With the civilian government dissolved, Nepal wakes up under the de facto control of the army, which officially deployed at 10 p.m. last night. The armed forces announce the extension of the nationwide curfew.
Current situation: The country remains paralyzed, with borders sealed and airports closed. The Army Chief of Staff has called for dialogue, positioning the military as the sole arbiters in the current power vacuum.
