Nepal’s national day of mourning for its lost youth in the Gen Z protests

All government offices and educational institutions across Nepal lie closed today, 17 September, Wednesday, marking a national day of mourning for the lives lost during the country’s recent Gen Z protests — a wave of youth-led demonstrations that resulted in Nepal’s worst civil unrest in decades.

As the home ministry stated, “In memory of those who died during the protests organised by the Gen Z generation on September 8 and 9, the Government of Nepal has decided to observe a national day of mourning on Wednesday, September 17.”

The protests, which erupted against longstanding corruption and a sudden government-imposed social media ban, saw deadly clashes with police. At least 72 people — including 3 police officers — were killed and over 2,100 were injured. The violence crested on 8 and 9 September, when crowds attempted to enter government buildings, and set on fire the homes of several political leaders, several government offices and businesses in Kathmandu and beyond. Former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on 9 September, shortly after hundreds stormed his office demanding accountability for the 19 fatalities caused by police action the previous day.

In a statement following these events, all Nepali embassies and missions abroad were closed and the national flag was flown at half-mast.

Interim prime minister Sushila Karki, who took office after Oli’s resignation, declared those killed during the protests as “martyrs’ and announced compensation for their families, pledging to investigate the violence and charges of conspiracies behind the losses.

“We feel pride, but there’s also a complex mix of trauma, sorrow, and frustration,” protest leader Tanuja Pandey reportedly told the BBC, reflecting the dual feelings within Nepal’s youth movement.

Although the capital city of Kathmandu is gradually returning to normal, with busy markets ahead of the Dasain (Vijaya Dashami) and Deepawali festivals, the consequences of the protests continue to be felt.

Authorities have meanwhile begun assessing the damages to public and private property, including the 121 four-wheelers and 158 two-wheelers burned during the unrest. Ministries are strategising and coordinating their rebuilding efforts, with police actively investigating those responsible for the devastation.

But then, there is the matter of those themselves slain in police firing and the accountability around those deaths...

The Gen Z-led protests, driven by frustration over governance failures, censorship, economic hardship and entrenched corruption, have left a deep imprint on Nepal’s political landscape. This day of mourning today underscores the scale of the losses and centres the continued demands of a younger generation seeking accountability — and meaningful change.