Protests in Nepal, My Images from Today
Around 5 pm, I went to the Ring Road, which is only a 15-minute walk from my hotel. The Ring Road is the largest circular transport artery of Kathmandu, it's always full of traffic, each time I am afraid to cross it, but that time it was different:
The Ring Road was crowded by people, with almost no passing vehicles. I guess everyone in the city knew that the Ring Road was blocked, so people canceled their plans.
Nobody tried to clear the road from the crowd - there were no policemen.
I only saw two such vehicles, which passed and disappeared.
Here and there, they started burning tires on the section Balaju - Banasthali of the Ring Road.
I had a walk from Balaju to Banasthali and settled there for a while.
First, I felt like a stranger but locals talked to me, shared their thoughts, asked where I was from, etc. Adults, teens, kids - small talks, no one was pushing themselves - but that's Kathmandu, the people here are very nice.
The general atmosphere was excitement. There were no political placards, but some people were chanting slogans from time to time.
Costumed people sometimes arrived, which always made people laugh and approvingly shout:
As I was told, they were mocking officials like the road police head and such.
More people joined by 6 pm:
Someone added burning tires, which made the emotions of the crowd more intense. I changed the lens from telephoto (70-300mm) to a 50mm, and went into the crowd.
Some people were jumping and dancing. Passing protestors were greeting the crowd.
Activists continued to visit the block post, some wearing costumes or carrying placards.
But most people were just folk from the neighborhood who came out, often with the kids, to watch the action and share the emotion about the damn corrupt government.
Excitement in the air!
And there were also guys who were sort of watching the things at Banasthali block post. For example, they wanted to check every large vehicle, including ambulances if they couldn't see from the outside who were inside.
I guess they wanted to check if there were officials inside or cops...
There were no vibes of violence rather joy, although people with heavy metal sticks were passing from time to time, probably, heading somewhere else.
Young people were enjoying freedom, chanting slogans, shouting, horning, greeting passing people wearing flags.
It was rather like a celebration, but with the political meaning, and a bitter feeling behind as 19 protesters were killed on Monday.
It was almost 7 pm when I decided to see if I could buy food in Bhat-Bhateni Super Store so I was walking along the Ring Road back to Balaju where there was another a sort of spontaneous block post:
There, they had a broken (burned?) car that could become a barricade if needed:
Unfortunately, they was no fire there so it was too dark to take images when there were no headlights near.
And I went further towards Bhat-Bhateni Super Store.
I actually started my Ring Road walk at Bhat-Bhateni Super Store which was closed at around 5 pm - they installed formidable barriers in front of it to protect the place from intruders, and there were guards. But that was at 5 pm. When I returned at 7, the whole shop was in full darkness except for one tire burning in front of it. There was a crowd around it, just onlookers, and I was in the middle of them. And I could also see people sneakily jumping over the barriers - I thought they could be stealing something from the store's territory or, even, the store was being looted - I couldn't see if its door was fine - it was too dark. Then, several onlookers suddenly started running away from the store, and I decided it was a good idea to run with them. Maybe, a guard shouted that he wanted to shoot - if there were a guard... No idea. My gut told me to run, and I ran.
On the Ring Road, I met another nice Nepalese guy, and we were talking all the way until I turned into the alleys heading to the hotel.
The photos were taken with a Nikkor 70-300mm and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on September 9, 2025, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Wow, take care!
Bad situation but great shots!
Thank you, Tony! My hotel is in an amazing place, a local neighborhood in the alleys, feel quite safe. I only need ATM soon :D - not available - banks and malls closed.
Wow. Great on-the-scene reporting! Crazy what's going on there!
Much appreciated, yup, things are happening, hopefully, the country will manage to return to normal life.
I love attending such things. Though I've never been to something quite like this. With a camera there's something really important but also thrilling about capturing events so raw. Something so specific to that moment in time, capturing those moments and the emotion. I'd love to pursue photojournalism one day, as chaotic as this stuff can be, it almost calls to me to capture such things.
People normally live in routine, walking and talking in order to get another portion of food and comfort. Against this backdrop, revolutionary events are, of course, a real feast for a photographer and for anyone seeking greater depth in life.
Happy to witness this, and also glad it comes with only a few difficulties for me - much potentially can happen... but hopefully this country will return to normal life soon.
The motive is bad. The photo report is excellent.👏
Happy to read this, @cryptoreforma, thank you! 😊
ha and i was wondering if you were standing in your room at a safe place, instead you went right into the action 🤣 stay safe
I told you. Lol.
🤣
Thank you! 😄 I feel a sort of uncomfortable about the idea of strangers looting/robbing my hotel 😄 So... the room isn't always the best choice. Happy I chose a guesthouse away from major transport arteries - a very local neighborhood, can't imagine such things happening here.
https://x.com/lee19389/status/1965533446220251205
#hive #posh
Oh my goodness! I’m going to whip you for getting out of your room!
Well, that protest sounds very exciting but also dangerous. When you’re running with those troops, you’ve got to know why they’re running, you’re mad, but then you followed your instinct. And you’re safe!
The good thing I noticed is that people are united, and they know who their enemy is. People act together and the government has no chance.
Wow, what an experience.
Now, stay in your room and be safe! :)
Nice photography BTW.
Lol, I will starve then - I have no kitchen, no fridge. Of course, I go out, and of course I have my camera with me, and of course if I see interesting things I photograph them... and during a revolution you always see something interesting so... lol.
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thank you!
Thank you for going outside and coming back inside to share these images with us. It paints a different picture than what the media are documenting, to some extent. This is a much more human, more intimate insight into the lives of these individuals.
The fact that they have had had their compatriots literally compel the powers that be to give them back their freedom is fantastic. It's a sort of revolution - the type that can never happen with ballots, voting, and organised politics.
I am so happy for these people. The D750 is a great camera, too - I still regret selling mine. I'm on Z series glass now.
The photos are amazing, really capturing the real atmosphere of Kathmandu's energetic and emotional streets... Your story flows beautifully, making readers feel as if they are walking along Ring Road and experiencing the mix of festive and bitter emotions of the protests... Kudos for capturing those important moments with a human touch , not just as documentation. It's clear that the people there have a strong spirit despite the challenging circumstances... 🙏📸
Thank you for this feedback, @agungprasetyo!
Your photos report more human side of the protests and it shows the unity of the people in the place. The media makes it look worse but in your words, they are very nice and united. They know who the enemies are and I understand the heights of their emotions. Very intense but necessary. Your courage to go out there is appreciated. I am sad to the death report and I hope no one will be killed again. The people there really knows how to move. Now in the Philippines, we face the same conflict like your country, but we dont have same bravery like yours. I wish this could be fixed and not thrown in a trash.
Thank you! Several days ago, I saw a meme in Nepalese Reddit community saying that while Indonesians fight for their rights, Nepalese can only rest on couches and express their anger on the Internet. Things can change all of a sudden.
Awesome photographs. I'm proud of them and other countries doing protests due to blatant corruption. People are waking up and not afraid to stand up for their rights and against injustice. Sad for the people who died tho :<
Feel proud of them, too. Very inspiring to see people's unity - a couple of times I hardly could control emotions during this walk - many of us miss this so much, year by year, decades waiting.
Thank you!
Thank you!
It's a pity that the seven people died because of the protest.
Yes... As far as I know the death toll has already reached 25.
May be message they try to convey is right but the way of protest was really hurtful... My relatives are living in nepal was really scared...
may things get settled down soon...
i must say nice photography bro 👍🏻
Thank you! Let's hope things will settle down soon. The protest achieved the main political goal, and now what Nepal needs is peace and safety.
I was reading about these events today, and it's truly sad how this social process has developed, resulting in so many deaths.
Yes, very sad. Already 25.
I've been hearing a lot of news about protests lately, including the one in Indonesia. And this is by far one of the most realistic documentation of human rage. Your photos are well-captured that I couldn't find the right words to describe it. I am from the Philippines and the corrupt officials were finally exposed. However, without proper investigations and enough protestations this issue might as well be forgotten again one day. It would be a mess because the people can no longer bear this flawed government system.
We should all learn from protests worldwide, not only how to stop corrupt governments but also how to avoid chaos afterward and prevent new liars from gaining power... Thank you!
I just wish that stability and calmness will return to Nepal. I am not really a fan of riots because it can escalate.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I also hope the country will manage to return to normal life. It's quite fine here - water, electricity supply, food - everything is as before. Only there is a curfew, which makes things harder, like, no ATMs available (which sucks in my case but I'll be fine).
I appreciate how you captured both the seriousness and the vibrancy of the protests. It shows the strength and resilience of the people involved.
Thank you, Gabriela! 😊
Seeing it through your camera lens was much better than through the media's. I must admit this. I know how dangerous it can be for you to be among people who are passionate about revolution. It is a risk. I think that modern people, especially the new generations, are not burdened by the laws that the rulers want to create to protect themselves and that contradict the current conditions of society. We are right, but we all still have contradictions in our behavior. This is also a reality and is clearly visible in your lens. But whatever it is, it is a universal message to all rulers: the world has changed and you cannot govern generations with an outdated mentality and with empty sanctifications. Today's man is alert, modern and free. My experience with revolutions has been unpleasant because I have seen that no revolution has ever achieved its real goal because my experience has taught me that people who change in a revolution follow the same path as the previous rulers. But I wish all humans, wherever they are, to be happy and free, and I hope these dear people achieve what they want.💪
Yes, they do but they already know that they should be more humble when committing crimes as officials. Revolution (or any other big change) is often another tiny step to a better (or sometimes worse) political and social culture of a nation.
Yes... The worst thing here, I believe, is that authoritarian populist politicians can cement the political growth of society with propaganda based on new technologies.
Hopefully, the local people will get some political enhancement through these protests. The thing ended with chaos, and most people - as I know - hope that the army will help the country return to normal life. This chaos - with many buildings burned and robberies - is the main lesson, and the main thing is that society draws the right conclusions from it.
Talk about being in the right place at the right time, !! Brilliant captures, you should sell them to one of the big corporate media associations.
Thank you! I've uploaded a couple of images from this set (and will add a couple more) to Alamy.com - a British photo stock agency - a decent one. They sell rarely but normally pay $-$$ for a sale (not 0.1$ like on Shutterstock). If once someone buys one of these shots for a book, I'll raise some money.
Thank you for sharing these images and your experience. You captured the energy and emotions of the moment so well. It’s amazing how you showed both the intensity of the protest and the warmth of the local people. 🙌📸
If I managed to do this, I am happy. Thank you for this feedback, @robertoasl!
This is really striking. In Nepal just like what you have shwon. people take to the streets and make their voices impossible to ignore by doing the prootests, while here in the Philippines, big issues just get stuck in endless hearings with no real legal action lol, just hearing and hearing for other corrupt officials to make a move since the spotlight is not on them as of the moment 😬 then no one gets held accountable, and it just shows how broken our justice system has become here in my country.
the proof is in the way cases pile up, names are exposed, yet everything fades without resolution. It’s such a huge contrast from here to there
I told the same to a local protester - so great Nepalese managed to go out and express their opinion.
However, many problems have already followed as a result of this revolution - chaos, and there is nobody to secure the normal life except for the army. The protest was infiltrated by dubious political parties and goons... Hopefully, Nepal will cope to solve this...
I think it's probably always about the political and social culture of the nation, any nation. The culture of governing... A process lasting dozens of years, centuries, consisting of tiny steps, and costing many innocent people killed and destroyed by imprisonment.
Amazing photos!
I spent a month there in around 2014, not long before the giant earthquake killing tens of thousands. I remember seeing some armed soldiers scattered around in various areas while I was hiking the Annapurna mountains. Our guide told us some were from one side, the maoist commies, and the others more established protectors or something like that. I was too young and uninformed to really understand what was going on all around me.
But it's fair to say, this has been something a long time coming, rather than some single event as is being reported at the moment.
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Oh boy! This protest is really intense, even till night?
And then the huge flames from the tire really blast everything up, literally adding enthusiasm to the mood of the protesters.
This is a cool read. Well done @x-rain