Nepal protests: Gen Z protestors mobilising through Discord app to coordinate actions. Here's what they discussed

Violent student-led anti-government protests continued in Nepal for the second day, defying public gathering curbs, as demonstrators demanded Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s resignation and vandalized politicians' residences. Under the Gen Z banner, protesters shouted slogans like "KP Chor, Desh Chhod" and "Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders" across the capital.

They torched Oli’s residence at Balkot, Bhaktapur, while Oli remained at his official residence. The residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak in Kathmandu was also set ablaze a day after he resigned following a police crackdown that killed 19 and injured over 300 protesters.

The 'Gen Z' protestors have been mobilising through the Discord app as well as Instagram to coordinate their actions. One of the key organisers of the protest was an organisation named 'Hami Nepal', an NGO involved in humanitarian efforts and post-disaster response.

Their conversations on the Discord app include instructions about mobilising towards the airport, making Molotov cocktails, using acetylene gas to disable aeroplane tyres, and targeting police stations for ammunition. 

Videos on "how to protest" were also uploaded with instructions to bring college bags, books, and dress in their school uniform. The protestors on Monday carried banners reading 'Youths Against Corruption', floated by Hami Nepal. 

While the protests are being labelled as a response against the KP Sharma Oli government's ban on around 27 social media sites, India Today's review of social media groups coordinating the protests implies that the agitation was against corruption.

Some announcements in the groups also suggest that the organisers anticipated violence during the protests. Moreover, there was a sense of anger and frustration in the Discord groups of 'Youths Against Corruption' after the deaths. 

After the deaths, the organisers asked the members not to attend any classes. “From tomorrow onwards, no student will attend classes. All schools, colleges, and universities will remain closed indefinitely. This closure will continue until the government provides a clear answer for these killings," the message read. 

The protestors claimed that these deaths were caused by bullets fired by security forces. They even discussed violence against politicians and taking down government websites. “I need a machine gun,” one of the users wrote.

The protests in Kathmandu are said to be a result of frustration brewing in youth-focused online forums over joblessness, inequality, and corruption. Users claimed that the children of politicians and celebrities were getting undue benefits while ordinary people continue to struggle for basic amenities. 

Terms such as 'Nepo Kid' and 'Nepo Babies' started trending on TikTok and were discussed in Reddit groups a few days before the protests, Nepali media reported. Commonly used hashtags included #YouthAgainstCorruption, #NepoKid, #NepoBaby, #PoliticiansNepoBabyNepal, and #FutureOfNepal.

Virtual private network service provider Proton VPN saw an increase of 6,000% in sign-ups from Nepal in 3 days as citizens looked to bypass the social media ban.