At least 13 people were killed after young people protested against the social media ban in Nepal

At least 13 people were killed and dozens were wounded in Nepal after demonstrations against government social media ban that led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Thousands of invitation from the demonstrators who described themselves as the Zil Z to the Gathering near the parliament building in Kathmandu over the decision to ban platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube.

The Minister of Communication at Nepal Breithvi Soba told the BBC police that had to use the force – which included water cannons, batons and rubber bullets.

The government said that social media platforms need an organization to address fake news, hate talk and online fraud.

But common platforms like Instagram have millions of users in Nepal, who depend on it for entertainment, news and business.

The demonstrators carried banners with slogans, including “enough is enough” and “the end of corruption”.

Some said that they were protesting what the authoritarian position of the government called.

When the gathering moved to a restricted area near Parliament, some demonstrators rose above the wall.

“The tear gas and water cannons were used after the demonstrators violated in the banned area,” police spokesman Sheikhmar Khanal told Agence France Presse.

A spokesman for the Kathmandu County Office said the curfew was imposed around areas, including the parliament building after the demonstrators attempted to enter.

Last week, the authorities asked to ban 26 social media platforms for not complying with a final date for registration in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in Nepal.

Since Friday, users have faced difficulty accessing platforms, although some use VPNS to overcome the ban. So far, two platforms have been re -activated after registration with the ministry after the ban.

The Nepal government argued that it does not prohibit social media, but is trying to comply with the Nepalese law.