Police in Kathmandu opened fire on anti-government protesters, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens more, Nepal's state-run television reported.
Authorities imposed a curfew in the capital Kathmandu in the wake of the deadly protests.
The casualties were reported after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse young protesters who tried to break into parliament during a protest on Monday against a social media shutdown and alleged government corruption, state TV said.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Nepal's capital on Monday to vent their anger against a decision by authorities to block most social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying that the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.
Protesters pushed through barbed wires and forced riot police to retreat as they surrounded the Parliament building.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon, but were outnumbered and sought safety inside the Parliament complex.
The situation remained tense and the government announced a curfew for Monday around Parliament, the government secretariat, the presidential house and key parts of the city.
Riot police clash with the protesters outside the Parliament building in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, September 8, 2025. (Photo/AP)
“Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption, not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving the red and blue national flags.
Seven protesters brought to the National Trauma Centre died, while another 10 were in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, local English daily Kathmandu Post quoted hospital official Dr Dipendra Pandey as saying.
More than 20 others were receiving treatment.
Three protesters died at Everest Hospital, where more than 50 others are receiving treatment, with four in critical condition, as per Anadolu.
Another four were brought dead to different hospitals as the identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed.
Monday's rally was called the protest of Gen Z, generally referring to people born between 1995 and 2010.
About two dozen social network platforms that are widely used in Nepal were repeatedly given notices to register their companies officially in the country, the government said.
Those which failed to register have been blocked since last week.
TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered and operate without interruption.
The move by the authorities came as the government sent a bill for a debate in Parliament that wants to ensure that social platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.”
Riot police stand outside the Parliament building as they deal with the protesters in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, September 8, 2025. (Photo/AP)
It includes asking the companies to appoint a liaison office or point in the country.
The bill has been widely criticised as a tool for censorship and punishing government opponents who voice their protests online. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and violate fundamental rights.
Nepal in 2023 banned video-sharing app TikTok in November for disrupting “social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials."
The ban was lifted last year after TikTok after its executives pledged to comply with local laws.
They include a ban of pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.
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Source: TRT