Flower greetings to gunfire: How Gen Z’s September 8 protest in Kathmandu ended up in a tragedy

Curfew went unheard at protest grounds, tear gas filled the air, and bullets rained down.

What began with protesters offering flowers to police ended in pools of blood. On September 8, thousands of young Nepalis—self-organised through Reddit and Discord—took to the streets of Kathmandu to protest against corruption. They called themselves Gen Z, and they had pledged to march peacefully, carrying poems, placards, and flags.