“We won”: Surreal TikTok videos capture Nepal’s Gen Z uprising on the ground

A youth-led uprising over longstanding accusations of corruption in Nepal has been playing out on platforms like TikTok this week, to a surreal effect.

What’s been happening in Nepal?

Earlier this month, a peaceful protest began among Gen Zers in Nepal after years of resentment over alleged government corruption—exacerbated, at the time, by watching the children of politicians flaunt their wealth online.

Things took a turn last week when the government decided to ban most major social media platforms, cutting off the only access some had to their friends, family, and the world outside of Nepal. To protestors, this was more than just the loss of social media, but an attack on free speech.

By Monday, violence had broken out, leaving at least 19 dead as police used deadly force against the protestors. Despite the ban subsequently being lifted, this only sparked a larger protest the next day.

Over the course of just a few days, the world saw images and video of government buildings burning and the streets flooded with protestors. Officials claimed that hundreds of inmates escaped prison. The airport shut down for a day. The number of Nepalis dead or injured in the fray increased.

Amidst it all, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, saying he did so to “facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution.”

Still, his resignation didn’t put a stop to the unrest. Right now, there are still many questions as to what happens next and even what’s happened so far. Some Gen Z protestors have claimed it was agitators who took advantage of the unrest to create chaos and destruction. Others are worried about potential fallout from the government.

Nepal’s unrest through a TikTok lens

Seeing the protests and resulting destruction play out via social media has been a surreal experience. These are hardly the first protests in the world to be broadcast via the likes of TikTok, Instagram, and X, but there remains something jarring about the social media-driven sensibilities of modern-day youth merging with the pursuit of revolution.

@sameert011 Jai Nepal ! #fyp #❤️ #onthisday #nepal ♬ Gangsta’s Paradise (feat. L.V.) – Coolio

@sudhirism ♬ original sound – velvet

@yourskusang
We WON today ! History has been made ! these corrupted mfs, All these years,they gave us nothing but false hope ! Hami le sahanu vanda dherai nai sahyou, yo kranti hunu nai thyo ! Of course the consequences is massive but it is what it is ! Let’s hope and work for a better nepal now!
♬ original sound – Kusang Sherpa

@diet_paratha Does Nepal do other countries too? God, this generation is so unserious. For context: Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stepped down following violent clashes between police and anti-corruption demonstrators that left 22 people dead. While the government’s ban on social media triggered the unrest, protestors main demands have been clear: the end of corruption and privilege among the political elite. Tiktok is flooded with youth declaring victory using the we won hashtag. Video: @SUNIL POKHREL #nepal #kathmandunepal #fire ♬ original sound – David Larbi

@phungmi_limbu Lets go 🏴‍☠️🇳🇵#fyp #nocorruption #tiktoknepal #genzprotest #nepobabies ♬ ivan dz nhat link nhac – ivan

@meonmichi5 The last one tho😂#🇳🇵 #nepalcorruption #endcorruption #nepalcorruptionexposed ♬ original sound – 恐龙🦕

@jelly_fish678 #protestfit #fyp #corruptionnepal #fitcheck #september8 ♬ original sound – jelly_fish678

@kaustuvbatajoo We won but at what cost? 💔 #fyp #nepal #corruption #genz #protest ♬ The Winner Takes It All – ABBA

Every generation brings its own flair to unrest and uprisings, and if Gen Z’s involves outfit-of-the-day videos and trending TikTok sounds…well, that’s just the way it’s going to be.

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