"A wave of youth-led protests had rocked Nepal, born on Discord servers, TikTok feeds, and encrypted messaging apps. In just a few days, Bam had seen friends gunned down, watched parliament buildings smolder, and witnessed the collapse of the Nepalese government. Prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli had resigned, and the army had stepped in to try to restore order."
"As she walked through the gates of Nepali Army headquarters, flanked by soldiers in full combat gear, Bam could feel her phone buzzing in her pocket. Online, misinformation was spreading fast. Bam's phone barely stopped buzzing. "The king is here." "The army has staged a coup." Discord was alive with chatter. Diplomats were calling, urging, "Save democracy!" Inside a sterile meeting room-no phones allowed-the"
"For three hours, Sigdel questioned the protesters on their motives and their backgrounds. Finally, he presented them with an ultimatum. It had been their youth-led movement that had sparked the protests, he said, so they were the ones responsible for shaping the interim government. Just days earlier, these activists had been ordinary young people, lost in the grind of their daily lives. Now they were being asked to help choose Nepal's next prime minister."
Youth-led protests in Nepal originated on Discord, TikTok, and encrypted messaging apps. The protests rapidly escalated, producing fatalities, arson at parliament buildings, and the collapse of the Nepalese government. Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigned and the army moved to restore order. Misinformation proliferated online, with messages claiming a royal return or a coup and diplomats urging protection of democracy. Ten Gen Z activists, including 26-year-old Rakshya Bam, were summoned to Nepali Army headquarters. Army General Ashok Raj Sigdel questioned the activists for hours and told them their youth-led movement made them responsible for shaping the interim government.
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