Shot Like Enemies: Inside Nepal's Gen Z uprising – BBC World Service Documentaries

On September 8th 2025, 19 young protesters were shot dead by police on the streets of Kathmandu. But how did a peaceful Gen Z protest turn into a tragedy? And who gave the order to open fire?

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The killings sparked outrage across Nepal, leading to widespread destruction and the fall of the government the following day.

Using an exclusive secret record of police radio leaked to our journalists, and over 4000 videos and photographs shot on the streets that day, #BBCEye pieces together a forensic account of the most dramatic two days in Nepal’s recent history – exploring how a Gen Z social media trend grew rapidly into a mass movement that caught the country’s political establishment and security forces by surprise.
 
The film follows the story of Rakshya Bam, one of the organisers of the Gen Z protest and Shreeyam Chaulagain, a 17-year-old who was protesting in his school uniform. His parents recount events of that day, and their struggle for justice. The BBC also obtains exclusive police testimony which reveals how the authorities lost control of the demonstration, and who gave the order to use lethal force.

00:00 How a Gen Z protest turned to tragedy
02:23 A frustrated generation
04:10 The “Nepo babies” trend
07:51 September 8, 2025
12:20 Curfew is declared
19:44 Shreeyam’s story
24:24 The order to shoot
28:13 September 9, 2025
30:16 Police retreat
31:21 Parliament is invaded
36:12 A new government
37:05 The blame game
38:58 Remembering Shreeyam

🎥 Watch this film in NEPALI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zCn40LpNVQ

🎞️ Watch more investigative journalism from our award-winning BBC Eye investigations team at this documentary playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4fa8LK1lptsvoA_spfJhzda

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