Nepal has lifted a social media ban, which sparked protests and led to clashes with police that left at least 19 people dead and injured more than 100 others.
In the weeks before the ban, a nepo kid campaign, spotlighting the lavish lifestyles of politicians' children and allegations of corruption, had taken off on social media.
When the government moved to ban 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, protests erupted with thousands of young people storming parliament in the capital Kathmandu. Several districts are now under a curfew.
A government minister stated the ban was lifted after an emergency meeting late on Monday night to address the demands of Gen Z.
Last week, Nepal's government ordered authorities to block 26 social media platforms for not complying with a deadline to register with Nepal's ministry of communication and information technology.
Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have millions of users in Nepal, who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.
However, the government had justified its ban, implemented last week, in the name of tackling fake news, hate speech, and online fraud.
Young people who took to the streets on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction with what they perceived as authoritarian government practices. Many carried placards with slogans such as enough is enough and end to corruption.
Some protesters hurled stones at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's house. One protester, Sabana Budathoki, stated that the social media ban was just the reason they gathered to protest.
Rather than [the] social media ban, I think everyone's focus is on corruption, she remarked, adding: We want our country back. We came to stop corruption.
On Monday, police in Kathmandu had fired water cannons, batons, and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters.
Prime Minister Oli expressed being deeply saddened by the violence and casualty toll, attributing the events to "infiltration by various vested interest groups".
Furthermore, the government plans to establish a panel to investigate the protests and will offer financial relief to the families of those who died and free medical treatment to injured individuals.
In a consequential move, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak submitted his resignation on Monday evening following widespread criticism over the government's handling of the protests.
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