They marched to defend free speech online and ended up reshaping a nation. In September 2025, young protesters opposing Nepal's social media ban triggered a political upheaval that brought Sushila Karki to power as the country's first woman prime minister—with much of the organizing happening on the messaging platform Discord.
When the government collapsed, the Nepali military took charge and appointed Karki as transitional leader. Rather than a true "election," activists held a rushed Discord chat to discuss whom to suggest to the army as leader. Nepalese youth have been organizing quickly to ensure the revolution isn't hijacked by elements of the old political class who are still in power.
