On Friday, Kathmandu descended into chaos as monarchist protesters launched violent attacks on media houses, vandalized private property, looted supermarkets, and clashed with security forces. The unrest left several individuals, including security personnel, injured.
In response to escalating violence, the District Administration Office of Kathmandu imposed a curfew from 4:25 PM to 10:00 PM.
Security measures were heightened across the city, with army units deployed to maintain law and order. Tragically, a journalist lost his life during the protest.
Suresh Rajak, a journalist filming for television from the rooftop of a building at Tinkune, tragically perished in a fire that broke out during clashes between monarchist protesters and the police. Rajak went missing after the fire, and his body was later discovered.
Subin Maharjan, 29, of Kirtipur also died during the protest.
Onlinekhabar journalist Dinesh Gautam was attacked by the protesters. While Gautam was taking pictures of the protesters disarming security personnel, they manhandled him. According to Gautam, they pushed him and attempted to snatch his mobile phone.
During the incident, they shoved him to the ground. Shortly afterward, a team of security personnel arrived, and after tear gas was deployed, Gautam ran away. As he fled toward Koteshwor, unruly protesters chased him, shouting that he was from the C.I.D. (Criminal Investigation Department).
Gautam, who was injured in the incident, was taken to Everest Hospital. Doctors confirmed that during the examination, they found his leg to be fractured.
A total of 22 individuals, including police officers and protesters, have been reported injured during the protest. Among them 15 are police. The situation continued to worsen as protesters caused significant damage to private property.
One of the major incidents occurred at the Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Koteshwor, where a group of protesters looted expensive items, including mobile phones, watches, alcohol, and clothing. According to a Bhatbhateni official, the protesters initially arrived in small numbers, but their ranks grew to 100-150, leading to widespread looting and vandalism.
“We are still assessing the total damage, but the protesters looted everything, including food items,” said the official.
The protesters also targeted media houses. Kantipur Television was attacked with stones, shattering windows and reaching the newsroom. Journalist Bikash Thapliya confirmed the damage.
Similarly, the office of Annapurna Post was vandalized, with stones thrown at its building, breaking the glass. In addition, the party office of CPN (Unified-Socialist) was severely damaged, with protesters burning documents and stealing electronic devices.
A fire was also reported at the Herbs Production and Processing Company in Jadibuti, Kathmandu, where employees fled to safety as protesters set the premises ablaze.
Police are now seeking to arrest Durga Prasai, the leader of the Tinkune protest, after his movement turned violent. Prasai was seen crossing into a restricted area, defying security personnel. The protest became even more aggressive following this breach.
A senior police official confirmed that authorities are actively searching for Prasai.
In a press conference on Friday evening, Joint Secretary Chhabi Rijal from the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that Prasai would face legal action for his role in the violence.
The protests have now resulted in widespread unrest across Kathmandu, with severe consequences for both the city’s public order and its infrastructure.
The coordinator of the protest, Navraj Subedi, stated that the incident occurred on Friday afternoon at Tinkune, after the police provoked them. During the protest at Tinkune, members of the monarchist group became aggressive, leading to a tense situation.
Uploading a video, Subedi issued a message in which he accused the police administration of mistreating them from the very beginning.
He said, “From the start, they made efforts to provoke us, and there were actions like baton charges. I deeply regret the violence that occurred. The government should be held fully accountable for what happened, as it was unnecessary.”
Political analysts consider today’s protest by monarchists as a means to provoke the masses into disruption.
“Through today’s protest, the monarchists have actually exposed themselves in terms of how sensitive they are about the security of the people,” says political analyst Indra Adhikari. “They can cause such disruption when not in power—imagine what they could do if they were in power.”
She further adds that the negligence of the government is another reason why today’s protest grew larger.
“The number of security personnel was insufficient,” says Adhikari. “If only the government had not neglected them, there would have been less loss.”
This kind of protest will not help them achieve their goal; instead, it will weaken politics, she adds.
