Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli announced his resignation Tuesday, following major protests in Kathmandu in which police appeared to fire live ammunition on crowds, killing at least 19.
As street protests entered a second day, demonstrators set fire to the Supreme Court building, and smoke was seen pouring out of the country’s Parliament complex, The New York Times reported. Leaders’ homes, other government offices, and police stations were also set on fire.
Dubbed the “Gen Z protests,” young Nepalis have taken to the streets to express outrage at what they describe as surging corruption and authoritarianism in the Himalayan nation, with demonstrations intensifying after authorities banned several social media platforms last week. The government has since reversed its ban, though protestors insist that officials should be punished and replaced.
Kathmandu’s mayor called for restraint following Oli’s resignation, telling protesters that “from here onwards, it is your generation that must lead the country.”