Gen Z Protests in Nepal and the Rise of Youth Movements
The ongoing political unrest in Nepal is being termed as Gen Z protests worldwide, which shows how much change the voice of the youth can make in a nation’s politics. Many factors have come together and contributed to the escalation of these violent protests. The social media ban has been touted as the prime factor behind these violent protests in Nepal. The protests in Nepal are being led by the Hami Nepal Movement, who want a corruption-free Nepal. The protests have been so severe that PM KP Sharma has been forced to resign.
Gen Z Protests in Nepal and Harsh Crackdowns
Initially, the Gen Z protests in Nepal began as a peaceful anti-corruption movement, fueled by a social media ban with immediate effect. However, the peaceful protests immediately took a violent turn when police fired on the protestors in Kathmandu. When reports of people dying started to emerge, it immediately became clear that the protests had become violent, and emergency rule was imposed in Nepal. The subsequent decision of the government to impose a military curfew in Kathmandu only added fuel to the blazing fire, and Kathmandu turned into a battleground.
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France Politics Reform and Mass Demonstrations
Similar reports of violence started emerging from the French capital. Thousands of people registered their protests against the announcement of the new Macron Austerity Budget. The protests came to be known as the Block Everything protests, as protestors are literally blocking everything that is coming in their way. People are against this Macron Austerity Budget because they fear that the huge budget cut will have an adverse effect on public healthcare, education, and transportation. The pension freeze too, has not gone well with the senior citizens of the nation.
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France Politics Reform and Political Instability
The protests, which aim at a major political reform in France, have led to severe instability in the nation. Even when it was announced that Lecornu would be appointed as the French PM, the anger of the public did not subside. The anger did not subside because many felt it was just another attempt to hide the failures of the Macron administration. Reports of violent clashes with the French police emerged from the capital city which reflected the political unrest in Nepal. These protests have created a situation of severe political instability in France.
Shared Struggles of Nepal and France
Though the background of both the protests in Nepal and France are different in nature they echoed one common sentiment that is the rise of public sentiment against the administration. In Nepal the protests were largely carried out by Gen Z which saw the ban on social media as an attempt to curb their freedom. While in France people from all age groups came to join the protests as they felt that the Macron Austerity Budget will affect the vital public services right from education to healthcare. So people from all age groups joined the France political reform protests as they felt these services are common to all.
A Global Call for JusticeBoth the protests in Nepal and France have captured the attention of the global media. The fact that both the protests occurred during the same time made people draw the inevitable comparisons between the two. The Gen Z protests in Nepal mainly aimed to eliminate corruption and unemployment in the nation while the French political reform protest is mainly against the rising inequality in welfare schemes for the public. From Kathmandu to Paris the message is clear that even grassroot power can challenge entrenched systems.