(Adnkronos) – The death toll from clashes between police and protesters in Kathmandu protesting the government’s ban on social media such as Facebook, X and YouTube has risen to at least 16 dead and 100 injured. A spokesman for the Nepalese capital’s police, Shekhar Khanal, told AFP that ”unfortunately sixteen people have died, according to a report from hospitals. About 100 others are hospitalized, including police officers”.
The protest had been called by a group, calling itself Generation Z, near the parliament in Kathmandu. Nepal’s Communications Minister Prithvi Subba told the BBC that police had to resort to force, using water cannons, batons and rubber bullets. The government has said social media platforms need to be regulated to counter fake news, hate speech and online fraud.
A Kathmandu police spokesman said a curfew has been imposed in some areas, including the parliament building, after protesters tried to enter it. Nepalese army spokesman Rajaram Basnet told the BBC that a small unit of soldiers had been deployed on the streets after the curfew was introduced.
