Kathmandu, 18 Sep: A recent wave of protests led by the Gen Z group, demanding an end to corruption, bad governance, and the reinstatement of a social media ban, escalated into severe violence and unprecedented looting across Nepal, marking a dangerous new trend in public demonstrations.
A Peaceful Protest Descends into Chaos and Targeted Destruction
What began on the 23rd of Bhadau(8 Sep) as a nationwide protest organized by the Gen Z group quickly turned deadly when security forces opened fire, killing 21 demonstrators. While that day saw little vandalism beyond attempts to enter the Parliament building, the following day 24th Bhadau(9 Sep) saw the movement intensify and become more aggressive. Protesters, now joined by other groups, broke through police barricades and entered restricted areas, ignoring curfew orders.
The demonstration soon evolved into widespread arson and vandalism. Key government institutions were targeted, including Singha Durbar (the central secretariat), the Parliament building, the Supreme Court, and district courts. Offices of the Attorney General, the government lawyer, and the Civil Aviation Authority were also attacked. The violence then shifted towards the private residences of top leaders from the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and Maoist Centre, which were set on fire and vandalized.
Systematic Looting of Banks and Businesses Under the Guise of Protest
As evening fell on the 24th, the nature of the violence changed from political targeting to outright criminal looting. Mobs began breaking into private homes, supermarkets, and critically, banks.
- The New Baneshwor branch of Rastriya Banijya Bank was brutally looted, with an estimated loss of NRs 38 Crore, including 18 kg of gold and NRs 5 Crore in cash.
- In a stark example of audacity, the looters allegedly bribed a man who was filming them with NRs 5 lakhs to secure his silence and escape.
- The Nepal Bankers Association reported that 61 bank offices across the country were damaged in the protests.
- Supermarkets like Bhatbhateni were not spared; everything from clothes and alcohol to food grains was looted on a massive scale.
This incident echoes previous unrest. During a royalist protest on the 15th of Chaitra 2081, similar looting occurred at Bhatbhateni in Kupondole, where even basic food items were stolen. Earlier, on the 1st of Falgun 2079, a protest by transport workers and laborers devolved into looting at the Lhotse Mall, where mobile phones were widely stolen.
Experts Point to Mob Psychology and a Shift Towards Anarchy
Authorities have issued appeals for the return of looted goods and warnings against buying/selling items without bills. However, the repeated nature of these events points to a deeper societal issue.
Former DIG Hemant Malla notes that while protests and even vandalism were common in the past, the current trend of invading private homes and businesses for systematic looting is a new and dangerous phenomenon. He suggests this requires serious study, positing that the easy availability of information on social media about targets could be a factor.
Sociologists, however, point to mob psychology as a key explanation. When individuals are part of a large crowd, they can lose their sense of personal identity and critical thinking. This leads to a state of “deindividuation,” where people are more likely to engage in destructive and violent behaviors they would normally avoid. The crowd provides anonymity and a diffusion of responsibility, making individuals more susceptible to engaging in and escalating acts of criminality like looting.
