Nepal Anti-Corruption Protests Escalate as Parliament Is Stormed and Deaths Rise

Nepal’s Prime Minister Sharma Oli has resigned from his position as deadly anti-corruption protests continue across the country, with at least 22 people now reported dead.  Deadly clashes occurred between police and so-called ‘Gen-Z’ protestors, mostly centered in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Monday, which were ignited after a government ban on social media blocked 26 platforms for users in the country. The country’s parliament building was set on fire by protesters, along with the homes of several high-ranking politicians. Public discontent towards the Nepalese government has been rising to Monday’s eruption of protests, with 84% of the population believing that corruption is a big problem, according to corruption watchdog Transparency International.  On Tuesday, Prime Minister Oli resigned following Monday’s violence, which saw 19 people killed by police, who used rubber bullets and tear gas against crowds. “In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution,” said Oli in his resignation letter to President Ramchandra Paudel. Videos from Monday’s violence show protestors, some even in school uniforms, sustaining serious head injuries as demonstrators approached the parliament building.  The social media ban was also lifted in response to Monday’s deadly protests. Despite both measures, the situation on Tuesday continued to escalate as protestors began targeting the residences of government ministers in Kathmandu, as well as the parliament building.  Damage to public buildings and businesses continued throughout Tuesday, spreading beyond Kathmandu, where the majority of Monday’s protests took place.  The provincial assembly for the Gandaki province in Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city, was set on fire, as well as the Siraha District Court in southeast Nepal, and at least a dozen government buildings across the Rupandehi province and the Gautam Buddha International Airport in the area.  The offices of local news outlet Kantipur were also targeted on Tuesday, leaving the network, as well as local media outlet the Kathmandu Post, unable to post updates on their websites.  An indefinite curfew was imposed in the city of Birgunj in southern Nepal, as well as for the entire Dang district in the southwest. However, protestors have disregarded the curfews, as did those in Kathmandu on Monday.  In a public address issued Tuesday evening, Chief of the Nepal Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel said that the army would be mobilised from 10 p.m. local time to control the situation. “To lead the country towards peace from the present adverse situation, we appeal to the protesters to suspend their protest and come for dialogue,” said Sigdel.  All airports across Nepal were also shut down on Tuesday, including Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, the country’s largest airport. Nepalese Army Personnel has been deployed to the airport, with all international and domestic flights suspended until 12 p.m. local time Wednesday.