Fresh violence erupted in Nepal’s Bara district as Gen Z protesters clashed with CPN-UML supporters, leaving 10 injured and prompting a curfew. Demonstrators accused police of failing to act after earlier clashes, leading to tear gas, aerial fire, and retaliation from youths
Nepal police taking control of the situation when the protest first erupted in September. Filepic
Fresh tension erupted on Thursday as 10 people were injured after Gen Z youths clashed with members of the ousted prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli's party. The protest, which has now been called off, prompted authorities to reimpose curfew to contain the situation in Nepal's Bara district bordering India.
Young protesters in Nepal on Thursday again came out on the streets, clashing with loyalists of the former ruling party that was toppled in a deadly ‘Gen Z’ uprising in September. The fresh unrest then further forced authorities to impose a curfew in Bara district on Thursday.
The protest by Gen-Z accused police of failing to arrest individuals named in their complaint over Wednesday's clashes, as reported by Nepalese media.
It was around 11 am on Thursday when protesters gathered at Simara Chowk. The local administration at Bara did impose a curfew from 1 pm to 8 pm, in view of preventing loss of life and property.
One of the media houses in Nepal, while addressing the situation, cited that, “However, the prohibitory order failed to take effect, with demonstrators pouring into the streets and clashing with police. Authorities fired six tear gas canisters and two rounds of aerial fire after protesters defied the curfew and continued advancing,” as quoted by news agency PTI.
The report further added, "Protesters also pelted stones at security forces, injuring six police personnel, while four Gen-Z protesters were also reported injured.”
In a separate incident, the Gen Z demonstrators also set fire to the police beat in Simara Bazaar, the news portal said, adding, “Items from the UML office were also removed and torched by protesters, accusing police of hesitating to arrest UML cadres involved in earlier clashes.”
The clashes in the district had first erupted on Wednesday, when the news of CPN-UML general secretary Shankar Pokharel and party youth leader Mahesh Basnet taking off from Kathmandu for Simara to address an anti-government rally spread amongst Gen Z members.
As reported by news agency PTI, the Gen Z protesters gathered at the airport to oppose their arrival, triggering the clash with local CPN-UML cadres.
Moreover, the authorities subsequently imposed a curfew around the airport area to bring the situation under control.
(With inputs from PTI)
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