Violent anti-corruption protests in Nepal intensified on Tuesday as demonstrators set ablaze ruling party offices, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s private residence in Balkot, and several other political buildings, prompting the closure of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
According to The Himalayan Times, protesters gathered outside Oli’s residence demanding accountability for the deaths of 19 demonstrators during Monday’s clashes. The crowd later set fire to his house.
The unrest spread to multiple locations, with the central office of the Nepali Congress in Sanepa vandalized, and the residence of party president and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha attacked. The CPN-UML office in Chyasal, Lalitpur was also targeted, where protesters broke windows, hurled stones, and set the building on fire.
Police resorted to tear gas to disperse crowds. Although authorities insisted that live ammunition was not authorized, reports emerged of gunfire and bullet injuries.
With the situation worsening, the Nepali Army was deployed to secure TIA, which has been fully shut down.
Prime Minister Oli, in an appeal for calm, said he had called an all-party meeting on Tuesday evening. “I am in dialogue with relevant parties to assess the situation and find a meaningful conclusion. I humbly request all brothers and sisters to remain calm in this difficult situation,” he stated.
The protests, led largely by Nepal’s Gen Z youth, were initially triggered by the government’s controversial social media ban, which was lifted late Monday night. Despite this, anger over corruption and heavy-handed crackdowns has fueled continued violence.
So far, at least 19 people have been killed and over 200 injured in the protests across Kathmandu and other regions.
