Fires consumed public institutions, historic buildings and private businesses – including the Supreme Court, the Singha Durbar government complex, the Kantipur media house and a luxury hotel – as what began as Gen Z-led peaceful protests spiralled into attacks that observers fear may be part of a broader political power play.
There are mounting concerns over the social and economic toll of the destruction, as confusion looms over the country’s future.
“Public and private properties shouldn’t have been touched,” said Pallav, a resident who wished to use only his first name, fearing repercussions. “There was a lot of anger against the politicians, but vandalism is wrong. But what happened on Tuesday wasn’t part of the Gen Z movement, and some people used our platform to push their political agendas.”
Thousands of young Nepalese took to the streets to protest against corruption and censorship on Monday, which turned deadly after police shot and killed at least 19 protesters. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned the following day, along with several ministers.
Still, violence has continued with multiple reports of arson and looting throughout the country and in the capital, Kathmandu.
