The Moment Nepal’s Gen Z Protesters Felt the Vibe Change

The Gen Z protesters in Nepal dressed for the occasion.

Their mission — organized on Instagram, Facebook and Discord — was grand: vanquish corruption, promote democracy and sweep away an entrenched leadership that kept power and wealth in the hands of a select few. Why not look good too?

“Our generation likes to slay,” said Tanuja Pandey, a Gen Z protest organizer and recent university graduate, using a slang term for looking your best. “It’s our secret weapon.”

But, as three protesters who took part in the mass rallies in the capital, Kathmandu, recounted, the vibe changed.

As the largely leaderless youth movement marched toward the Everest Hotel, men arrived on motorcycles and in trucks, waving the Nepali flag with its twin triangles. They yelled extremist slogans and rushed past barricades to restricted zones. They did not appear to slay.

The burning and looting started soon after, the three Gen Z protesters said, shocking a movement that had expressly warned its tens of thousands of followers on social media not to act violently, even as at least 19 protesters were killed on Monday after security forces opened fire.

The three protesters did not want to be identified because of the tense security situation.

By Tuesday, some of the young protesters, who had been galvanized by a government ban on social media, stayed off the streets. But the capital had descended into chaos. The Parliament burned, as did the Supreme Court. Hotels were set on fire in a city that depends on adventure and spiritual tourism. The airport was closed because of smoke obscuring the runway. Homes and offices of government officials were attacked.