KATHMANDU: Nepali youth protesters set fire to parliament on Tuesday as the veteran prime minister obeyed furious crowds to quit, a day after one of the deadliest crackdowns in years in which at least 19 people were killed. The protests, which began on Monday with demands that the government lift a ban on social media and tackle corruption, reignited despite the apps going back online.
Nepal's president called for national unity on Tuesday after two days of violent protests. "I urge everyone, including the protesting citizens, to cooperate for a peaceful resolution of the country's difficult situation," President Ramchandra Paudel said in a statement, after protesters set fire to parliament as well as his office. "I appeal to all parties to exercise restraint, to not allow further damage to the country, and to come to talks."
Demonstrators on Tuesday attacked and set fire to KP Sharma Oli's house, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party. Shortly after, chanting protesters — some wielding assault rifles, according to a reporter at the site — gathered outside main government buildings.
Plumes of smoke also covered Nepal's parliament as demonstrators set the building ablaze. "Hundreds have breached the parliament area and torched the main building," Ekram Giri, spokesman for the Parliament Secretariat, said.
Protesters, mostly young men, were seen waving the country's national flag as they dodged water cannons deployed by the security forces. Other demonstrators targeted the properties of politicians and government buildings. Kathmandu's airport remains open, but some flights were cancelled after smoke from fires affected visibility, airport spokesman Rinji Sherpa said. "I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today... in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems," Oli said Tuesday in a statement. His political career stretched nearly six decades, a period that saw a decade-long civil war, with Nepal abolishing its absolute monarchy in 2008 to become a republic.
Slogans demanding accountability from the authorities have been a feature at the protests. "Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state — that shows the scale of police brutality," said 23-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari. Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked on Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms. Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters on Monday, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.
Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked. Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business. Others rely on the apps for messaging. — AFP
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