Kathmandu, Nepal – At least two people were killed and several others injured on Friday, March 28, 2025, as violent clashes erupted between pro-monarchy protesters and police in the eastern part of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. The unrest unfolded during a rally organized by groups loyal to former King Gyanendra Shah, who was ousted in 2006, with demonstrators demanding the restoration of the monarchy that was officially abolished in 2008.
The Home Ministry confirmed that one protester died while receiving treatment in a hospital following the clashes. Additionally, a local TV station reported that one of its staff members perished when the building he was filming from was set ablaze during the violence. Several protesters and police officers were also injured, prompting the government to impose a curfew in parts of the city to restore order.
The rally, held near Kathmandu’s airport, was initially planned as a peaceful demonstration. However, tensions escalated when a group of protesters in a white pickup truck drove into a police barricade, striking several officers. In response, police deployed tear gas shells and used a water cannon to disperse the crowd, further inflaming the situation. Images from the scene captured the intensity of the confrontation, with a member of a pro-monarchist group hurling stones at police and officers firing tear gas in retaliation.
On the other side of the capital, thousands gathered for a counter-rally in support of Nepal’s current republican system. The group, which included members of opposition parties led by the Maoists—a faction that waged an armed rebellion from 1996 to 2006 to overthrow the monarchy—denounced the pro-monarchy movement. “It is impossible for the monarchy to come back. It is ridiculous to even think that something that is already dead and cremated could come back to life,” said Ram Kumar Shrestha, a Maoist supporter, reflecting the sentiment of those opposed to the royalist cause.
The pro-monarchy protesters, however, expressed deep frustration with Nepal’s political system, accusing the country’s major parties of failing the Nepalese people. “We need the country to return to monarchy and the king to come back, because the political parties and system have failed in the country,” said Rajendra Bahadur Khati, a participant at the royalist rally. “When the source is so polluted, the entire system has gotten rotten.” In addition to calling for the reinstatement of Gyanendra Shah, royalist groups have increasingly demanded that Hinduism be restored as the state religion, a status it held prior to the monarchy’s abolition.
Nepal’s monarchy came to an end following massive street protests in 2006, which forced King Gyanendra to relinquish his authoritarian rule. Two years later, in 2008, the country’s parliament voted to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy, transforming Nepal into a federal democratic republic. Gyanendra, the last king of Nepal, left the royal palace to live as a private citizen and has remained silent on the recent calls for his reinstatement.
The recent surge in pro-monarchy sentiment reflects growing discontent with Nepal’s political leadership, which has struggled to address economic challenges, corruption, and governance issues in the years since the monarchy’s abolition. However, despite this growing support, analysts believe Gyanendra has little chance of returning to power in the immediate future, given the entrenched republican system and the strong opposition from groups like the Maoists.
Friday’s violence underscores the deep divisions within Nepalese society over the country’s political future. As the government works to restore calm in Kathmandu, the clashes serve as a stark reminder of the unresolved tensions that continue to shape Nepal’s post-monarchy era. Whether the pro-monarchy movement gains further traction or fades in the face of opposition remains to be seen, but for now, the streets of Kathmandu remain a battleground for competing visions of Nepal’s identity and governance.
