Explained: How Nepal’s Gen-Z Movement Came Full Circle in 10 Months as Balen Shah Faces Eviction Protests

Fresh demonstrations erupted across Nepal's capital on Sunday as hundreds of people protested against the government's eviction drive, accusing authorities of displacing landless families without providing a permanent rehabilitation plan.

The protest, organised by the Joint National Squatters Front, took place outside a key government office in Kathmandu. Demonstrators demanded an end to forced evictions, the release of detained activists and adequate housing for displaced families. Many protesters carried placards calling for respect for human rights and an end to what they described as the mistreatment of the urban poor.

Why are people protesting?

The unrest stems from a months-long eviction campaign that began in April across Kathmandu Valley and other parts of Nepal.

Authorities demolished settlements occupied by more than 2,600 families—affecting an estimated 15,000 people—as part of efforts to clear encroached public land.

While many families were forced to leave, only a section of them received temporary accommodation. Around 325 families were shifted to government-run holding centres in Kathmandu.

What is the current status of people in the holding centres?

The temporary shelters have become the focal point of the protests.

According to local reports, many residents remain in the holding centres, where activists claim living conditions are inadequate and lack basic facilities. The situation worsened after flooding struck one such settlement on Friday, forcing security personnel to evacuate around 150 displaced residents.

The Nepal government had directed occupants to vacate the holding centres by July 6. However, at least 60 families reportedly refused to leave, saying they had no alternative place to live and had not been offered permanent resettlement.

Arrests and police action fuel outrage

Public anger intensified after activists, students and journalists who highlighted conditions inside the holding centres were reportedly detained.

A separate confrontation unfolded after a group of young activists visited one of the flooded camps. Police dispersed the gathering with a baton charge, during which one protester sustained facial injuries and was later hospitalised.

In another development, police in Nepal's Koshi Province reportedly arrested 26 people for demonstrating in support of those detained in Kathmandu.

Political pressure mounts on Balen Shah

The protests pose a significant challenge for Prime Minister Balen Shah, whose rise in national politics was strongly backed by young voters.

The demonstrations have drawn comparisons to last year's Gen-Z-led anti-government movement that reshaped Nepal's political landscape. Opposition leaders have also criticised the government's response, with Nepali Congress president Gagan Kumar Thapa calling for the release of those arrested during the protests.

With dozens of displaced families still refusing to leave temporary shelters and demands for a comprehensive rehabilitation plan growing louder, the eviction issue is emerging as one of the government's biggest political tests.