Massacre in Kathmandu: Oli–Deuba coalition accused of fascist crackdown on Gen Z protesters

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s fragile democracy was shaken to its core on Monday as the elected coalition government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba unleashed what rights groups are calling a “state-sponsored massacre” on the streets of Kathmandu. At least 14 young protesters were killed in a single day, with dozens more critically injured, after security forces opened fire and used lethal force against unarmed demonstrators of the Gen Z movement.

Witnesses described the scenes around New Baneshwor as “a war zone,” where police and Armed Police Force units indiscriminately attacked youths who had marched towards the Parliament building demanding accountability, jobs, and an end to corruption.

One protester died inside the Parliament compound itself, while 13 others succumbed to injuries at Kathmandu’s hospitals. The National Trauma Center confirmed six deaths, Everest Hospital reported three, Civil Hospital three, and one death each at KMC Sinamangal and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj.

A Fascist Alliance Exposed

Critics say the killings expose the true face of the ruling alliance between Oli’s CPN-UML and Deuba’s Nepali Congress, which many now describe as a fascist coalition. Instead of dialogue with frustrated youth, the government has chosen brute force.

“This is not governance, this is fascism,” said a constitutional lawyer in Kathmandu. “Oli and Deuba have colluded to preserve their grip on power by turning the state machinery into a killing force against their own citizens.”

Particular outrage has been directed at Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak of the Nepali Congress, who oversees internal security. Protest leaders accuse him of authorizing live fire against unarmed demonstrators — a decision they say amounts to a crime against humanity.

Hospitals Overwhelmed, Families in Shock

Doctors and medical staff across Kathmandu reported scenes of chaos as waves of injured protesters were brought in. Civil Hospital was forced to transfer patients due to overwhelming pressure, while relatives searched frantically for missing family members.

No official list of the dead has been released. Police are still documenting casualties across hospitals, fueling public anger and suspicion of a cover-up.

Gen Z’s Defiance

The Gen Z protest, led by students and young professionals, is the most significant youth uprising in Nepal since the 2006 People’s Movement. Their demands — an end to entrenched corruption, economic reform, and job creation — directly challenge the old political order represented by Oli and Deuba.

Far from crushing the movement, the killings have galvanized protesters. “They may kill us, but they cannot kill our revolution,” shouted one youth leader outside Civil Hospital.

Global Outrage Building

Human rights organizations have begun compiling evidence of the massacre, warning that Nepal’s coalition government could face international condemnation and potential sanctions. Foreign embassies in Kathmandu are closely monitoring developments, amid fears that Nepal’s democratic trajectory is collapsing under authoritarian rule.

Analysts warn that the killings will have long-term repercussions. “No foreign investor will trust a government that massacres its own youth,” said a regional political economist. “Oli and Deuba have destroyed Nepal’s credibility in a single night.”

A Nation at a Crossroads

The death of 14 young citizens has turned the Oli–Deuba coalition into a regime accused of bloodshed and betrayal. Protesters vow to return to the streets, and with public outrage intensifying, Nepal risks spiraling into deeper instability.

For now, Kathmandu is grieving, but the cries for justice are growing louder than the government’s bullets.