Kathmandu, Sept. 9 -- Ichhya Thapa, a Bachelor's student of Journalism and Mass Communication, was one among the thousands of youths who had descended on Maitighar on Monday morning to protest rampant corruption and the government's recent social media ban.

Thapa stayed at the protest site until around noon, retreating only after the first rounds of tear gas canisters were fired and the situation turned tense.

"This was supposed to be a peaceful protest, that's why we were there," Thapa told the Post later. "Looking at the news of deaths and injuries of the people we walked together with, I keep wishing this is all just a bad dream I could wake up from."

The events of Monday were rooted in a digital movement that had been gathering mom...