Nepal’s police on Thursday arrested 18 members of the “Gen Z” movement, including Dr Nicholous Bhusal, after they staged a demonstration at Maitighar, Kathmandu, demanding the arrest of deposed prime minister KP Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak, according to news agency PTI.

The protest by a faction of the Gen Z group marked the first month of the protests against corruption and a government ban on social media sites. Police swarmed Maitighar hours before the march began, as authorities feared another mass mobilisation similar to last month’s chaos that rattled the nation’s capital.

Bhusal and fellow activist Surendra Gharti were among those arrested by police as chants of “Arrest Oli!” and “Justice for Gen Z!” echoed across the street. Demonstrators accused the government of “pretending to investigate” while protecting those in power.

THE GEN Z MOVEMENT IN NEPAL

The Gen Z movement, made up largely of young Nepalis fed up with corruption and restrictions on free expression, has grown into one of the biggest anti-establishment uprisings in recent years. Their demands remain the same — the arrest of Oli and Lekhak for allegedly ordering the brutal police action that left dozens dead.

“The government has failed to meet even a single demand of Gen Z despite the change in leadership,” protesters shouted, accusing caretaker Prime Minister Sushila Karki of turning a blind eye.

In another half-measure, the government recently formed a three-member commission headed by former justice Gauri Bahadur Karki to probe the “excessive use of force.”

MEMORIAL FOR DEADLY CRACKDOWN

While arrests were being made at Maitighar, dozens of youths gathered outside the Parliament building in Naya Baneshwor, lighting candles in memory of those killed during the Gen Z protests. Relatives of the victims joined the vigil, vowing to continue the struggle.

Nineteen protesters were shot dead on September 8 — the first day of demonstrations. The death toll rose to 76 after police opened fire again the next day. The protests, initially peaceful, spiralled into violence after security forces allegedly fired live rounds into crowds demanding an end to corruption and the lifting of the government’s social media ban.

The heavy-handed response backfired, sparking outrage across the nation and eventually toppling the Oli government. Former chief justice Sushila Karki was installed as caretaker prime minister on September 12, days after President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved Parliament and called fresh elections for March 5 next year.

– Ends

With inputs from agencies

Tune In