Nepal's youths seen cleaning up after recent anti-corruption protests leave city in chaos

Following the anti-corruption protests in Nepal that saw 51 people dead, the Nepali youths, who were seen as the main force behind the protests, have now started cleaning up the mess left behind in the city.

The protests began after the Nepali government moved to institute a controversial social media ban on Sep. 4.

On Sep. 8, thousands of protesters, including students clad in their uniforms, took to the streets with placards reading: "Shut down corruption and not social media", and "Youths against corruption".

Although the ban was later renounced, the unrest only escalated, with protesters smashing and looting local businesses.

Outrage over the ban also coincided with ongoing public anger towards alleged corruption in the government, leading to protesters attempting to storm the parliament complex in the capital city, Kathmandu.

But the Gen Z protesters have since distanced themselves from the rising violence, blaming the chaos on opportunists who have infiltrated the movement, reported CNN.

On Sep. 10, youths gathered at the Parliament precinct in Kathmandu with brooms and shovels to clean up the debris left behind by the clashes, Hindustan Times reported.

Cleaning up

According to Hindustan Times, witnesses said volunteers worked since early morning to clean up the pavements, gather rubbish and restore what the chaos had left behind.

“We are here for the cleanliness drive which is going on all over the streets in Kathmandu city, where protests took place yesterday and the day before,” Govind, a volunteer, told ANI in an interview.

#WATCH | Kathmandu, Nepal: A local, Govind, says "We are here for the cleanliness drive which is going on all over the streets in Kathmandu city, where protests took place yesterday and the day before. I can't say who will be the next Prime Minister of Nepal, but we want someone… https://t.co/VxtSxo7jVX pic.twitter.com/2devIgsSFg

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2025

Videos have also surfaced on social media showing youths cleaning up the city, with scenes of people working together to restore damaged areas and clearing burnt vehicles.

An X post by The Kathmandu Post also showed youths taking part in the clean-up, with many walking around to gather trash.

Gen Z volunteers in Kirtipur hit the streets early Wednesday morning for a cleanup drive—just hours before the Nepal Army’s lockdown notice. Some Gen Z youth are actively planning and calling for clean-up campaigns through online platforms. Organisations like Eco Sathi are… pic.twitter.com/qjoRbR6zRv

— The Kathmandu Post (@kathmandupost) September 10, 2025

Protests in Nepal

The protests began after the Nepali government moved to institute a controversial social media ban on Sep. 4.

The ban, which would have affected 26 platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, led to accusations that the government was trying to "silence" the people, BBC reported.

Anger has been brewing for years about Nepal's worsening youth unemployment crisis, growing inequality, and alleged corruption.

The youth unemployment rate in Nepal was 20.8 per cent in 2024, according to the World Bank.

The ban also came after a "nepo kid" campaign went viral on Nepalese social media weeks before, depicting the lavish lifestyles of politicians' children.

The protest led to the resignation of Nepal's prime minister Sharma Oli on Sep. 9.

On Sep. 12, the country appointed its first female interim prime minister, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki.

She is noted as a key anti-corruption figure, making her appointment well-received by Gen Z protesters after days of demonstrations against corruption in the government.

Top photos from yolospark/TikTok