Driving the September Gen Z uprising was the platform of Discord. Initially a hub for video gamers, it quickly evolved into a space where young people organised and fueled the anti-corruption movement.

On September 9, Discord reportedly became a channel for sharing plans of vandalism and arson. Of the two days of the movement, September 8 saw mass protests, while September 9 is remembered for widespread destruction.

Two Discord servers—Youths Against Corruption and Yuwa Hub— were particularly active in coordinating the protests. Participants used them to plan locations, timings, and strategies for gathering.

After the Gen Z movement toppled the government, a Discord poll even suggested former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as prime minister.

What exactly is Discord, and how did a platform that hosted a peaceful movement escalate into violence? The Post investigated.

What is Discord?

Discord is a free communication platform that lets users create or join servers—virtual communities—where they can chat through text, audio, and video.

Launched in 2015 by American entrepreneurs Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy to help gamers collaborate, Discord now has over 200 million Global Monthly Active Users, according to Discord. Each server can host up to 500,000 members and offers separate channels for different topics. While initially aimed at gamers, the platform has increasingly been used for community building, social discussions, and political organising.

Discord has facilitated mobilisation in movements across Iran, Hong Kong, Serbia, and the United States. Participants usually operate under anonymous identities, even as the company protects both users’ emails and IP addresses.

Discord chats reveal plans for Molotovs and arson

Angry Nepali Gen Z activists were already active across social platforms before the protests. They ran campaigns like Nepo Kids and Nepo Babies on TikTok and Reddit, while using Discord as the main hub to organise the September 8 demonstrations.

The Post analysed 54,061 messages from the Youth Against Corruption (Hami Nepal) Discord server and roughly 60,000 messages from Yuwa Hub. According to the analysis, between 9:35 pm on September 7 and midnight on September 9, the servers logged about 114,000 messages over roughly 50 hours. 

On September 7, conversations showed most of the young participants preparing for a peaceful protest. They planned to attend the protests in school and college uniforms and gather at 9 am at Maitighar. Messages also indicated simultaneous demonstrations in major cities outside Kathmandu.

Members expressed concern that groups with vested interests might infiltrate the movement. Several users warned that figures such as Durga Prasai, royalist factions, and certain student unions could try to hijack the protests. One user, claiming experience in a PR group for Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa, wrote: “Mahesh Basnet’s youth force and Durga Prasai-led pro-monarchy group are trying to use tomorrow’s protest for their benefit. Be alert, everyone.”

Gen Z participants also planned to document the protests and share footage with international media to amplify their message. On September 7, one user, Herihair, wrote: “Make sure to record stuff up.”

Discussions focused on corruption, nepo babies, misuse of public funds, freedom of expression, and political reform. Some members even called for a directly elected president. Between 9:35 pm and midnight on September 7, the servers logged 660 messages.

On September 8, young people gathered in school uniforms as planned. While the street protest stayed largely peaceful, Discord discussions focused on keeping it non‑violent. On the ground, the situation escalated: upon reaching the prohibited zone in New Baneshwar, the crowd became uncontrollable and clashed with police. The barricade was eventually breached, prompting server users to debate who broke it and why.

Street activity soon escalated beyond Discord. After the barricade fell, protesters advanced on the parliament building. Police responded with water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and later, live ammunition. The district administration imposed a curfew. Nineteen people died in the day’s unrest.

Many of these developments had been repeatedly discussed on Discord. As authorities moved to quell the protests, some users urged others to disperse to prevent loss of life and property. At 12:24pm, a user named Suckit99 wrote: “Curfew has been announced. Please, guys, get the f... out of the parliament building. They can shoot you.”

Despite warnings, calls for violence spread. At 12:43, a user named Stardustkiss wrote, “Now we must use Molotovs.” At 2:37, a user named Rukesh posted, “Someone supply Molotovs.”

Molotov is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon consisting of a frangible container filled with flammable substances and equipped with a fuse.

At 3:55, a user called Sagat Ji wrote: “I’m bringing Molotovs.” At 5:66, Rukesh urged, “Make as many Molotovs as you can and bring them.” From the afternoon of the first day, Molotovs became a central topic.

The Molotov cocktail, first used in the 1939–40 war between the Soviet Union and Finland, is an illegal, lethal incendiary device intended to spread fire.

Initially, the government responded with brutal force and seemed unprepared for civilian anger. As the violence escalated, it appeared powerless, while security agencies showed little awareness of plans to provoke the unrest.

Some users said they planned to carry Molotovs as early as September 7. One user, Kushal, wrote: “If it comes to making Molotovs, don’t target random places — go straight to the parliament building.” During the September 8 protest, at 1:58pm, a user named Kaji_zk wrote: “Yes, I’ll throw Molotovs from my side.”

The crackdown on the first day made a second protest on September 9 inevitable. Civil society backed another demonstration, and Discord continued to circulate messages urging maximum violence.

On the evening of September 8, even after Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned during the Cabinet meeting, youth anger did not subside. They argued that the minister’s resignation was insufficient. A user named Russian_uncle_1 demanded that an international court case be filed, saying, “Resignation is too lenient a punishment.”

At 7:50pm, an anonymous user wrote: “Resignation is not enough. Put petrol in beer bottles, set them on fire and throw them at the police so they burn and die. Surround the houses of small or big leaders and drag them out. Go to the police headquarters and… those ordered to open fire. Kill people from the government.” The same user posted similar messages 15 times.

Throughout the night, discussions on Molotov repeated. At 8:00pm, a user Abbo20889 wrote: “We need grenades and Molotovs.” How-to tips soon circulated. At 8:59pm, a user calling themself Hosephvissarionovichstalin1941 posted step-by-step instructions for making Molotovs. Another user, Excucuy,” advised: “....put a cloth over the bottle neck so the mixture will stick. Then the Molotov is ready.”

Not all youths supported violence. Still, some discussed Molotovs as early as the day before the protests. On the morning of September 7, a user wrote: “Guys, start making Molotovs… in bottles…”

There were also discussions about making napalm. One user, Josephvissarionovichstalin1941, posted: “To make napalm: take a … box and dissolve … put it in the box … throw it.” Napalm is a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flame-throwers, consisting of petrol thickened with special soaps.

Discord chats reveal talks of smuggling weapons

Videos verified by open-source investigators and journalists show protesters throwing petrol bombs during the Gen Z demonstrations. Footage from the Baneshwar area clearly captures individuals hurling firebombs as the Parliament building burned. Police officials investigating the incident confirmed that petrol bombs were used in the arson

According to security officials, the practice of using bottles filled with petrol as bombs dates back to World War II, when soldiers ran out of ammunition. Over time, the method spread, and in recent years, other chemicals have also been mixed with petrol. “Getting such chemicals is not difficult — potassium, for example, is used for cleaning,” said Hemant Malla Thakuri, former chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). “But its misuse can cause massive destruction… so only a thorough investigation can determine the truth.”

Messages on Discord also show discussions on procuring weapons. Believing the protests could last for days, one user named Greenishhhhhh wrote at 11:49pm on September 8, “Need a f... gun solution.” Two minutes later, the same user claimed they could import guns from India. “I’ll import from India,” they wrote at 11:51 pm, adding, “About 50 grenades might come.” At 11:56pm, they posted again: “I know a dealer from Kerala, India — he can bring them if I ask.”

Some users, including Kartikeya, called for discipline, saying, “We can and should remain disciplined.”

Yet a leadership vacuum and rising anger shifted many conversations towards calls for violence.

Amid the chaos, misinformation surged on Discord. A user named Tony claimed a rape had occurred in Global College’s hostel. The rumour spread fast, prompting moderators like Flames and Tyke to flag it as false and ask members to report it in the#-mis-lead-posts channel. Despite this, panic and anger persisted.

According to an officer at Kathmandu District Police Range, a team was dispatched to the Global College hostel after reports of a rape surfaced. “Even the Nepali Army was mobilised, but upon reaching there, we found nothing,” the officer said. The next day, however, the Global College building was set on fire.

On September 9, the District Administration Offices of Kathmandu and Lalitpur imposed a curfew across the Ring Road area. Discord users reacted sharply. Mad_Dog247 wrote, “The murderers have imposed a curfew.” Another user, JustDeepfried, posted, “Curfew from 8:30 — I’m already there.”

Some users argued against defying the curfew, while others vowed to resist it at any cost. One user, “Kaji,” wrote, “Curfew or not, we’re going. Either we die or we kill.”

Targeting of leaders’ homes on second day of protests

On September 9, despite a curfew, young protesters took to the streets. Security in Baneshwar was tight. On Discord, a user named Corex said: “Security is super tight in Baneshwar today. So let’s hit Baluwatar — KP Sharma Oli’s house. There are about 100 police.”

Another user added: “Guys, around 30–40 cops are gathered around KP Oli’s house. It’s hard to enter.”

Meanwhile, a user named JungbahadurRana warned against attacking KP Sharma Oli’s residence, saying the protest was against corruption and Oli’s house would be heavily guarded. He claimed Oli was a supporter of Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party and “would crush everyone,” and urged protesters to target leaders he described as corrupt instead — naming Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

The first major attack on a top leader’s home was the one on Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Around 10:30am, Discord messages indicated plans to set his residence on fire.

At 10:32am, a user named Toxic!!!! said, “Throwing Molotovs at Prachanda’s house, but very few people are here. Need backup.”
At 10:47am, user Reauctioned said: “Prachanda residence in Dholahiti burned.”

By then, Dahal’s house was already on fire. At 12:04 pm, ReacherK wrote: “Sher…’s house is burning.” Applepie111 added at 12:54 pm: “Guys, Sher Bahadur… house has been vandalised, just like yesterday.” Nocturnallull commented: “Why…? Got the chance… Sher Bahadur…”

Around 10 am, the Nepali Army contacted Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana to evacuate them. They opted to stay at their Budhanilkantha residence, believing there was no immediate threat. By the time they requested evacuation, it was too late. Multiple attempts to land a military helicopter failed. The couple was finally rescued around 9pm and taken to the army hospital and barracks. After Deuba’s residence was torched, Molotovs were thrown at KP Oli’s Balkot residence.

Coordination of Parliament building arson

By around 10am on September 9, a large crowd had assembled at the Parliament building in Baneshwar. Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was present, urging protests against the government’s killings of young demonstrators.

The crowd grew larger, and tensions peaked around 11am. Discord updates tracked the unfolding chaos. As fires engulfed leaders’ homes, then‑Prime Minister Oli convened an all‑party meeting.

As the Baneshwar crowd grew restless, Discord users kept posting live updates. At 12:20pm, Tears Talk wrote with a heart emoji: “Parliament building is catching fire, guys.” Shortly after, Nitin added: “Guys, Baluwatar, Red PM.” Crowds had also gathered at Baluwatar. Despite some users urging restraint, arson and vandalism engulfed the Parliament building, and security forces eventually withdrew, letting protesters in.

Metadata from videos obtained by the Post shows the House of Representatives chamber was ablaze by 1:58pm, closely matching the Discord updates and events unfolding on the ground.

Discord chatter shows efforts to protect Singha Durbar

By about 1pm on September 9, protesters advancing from multiple directions had reached Singha Durbar. Discord messages indicate there was very little talk about setting the complex on fire.

At 2:01pm, user Sam wrote: “Let’s not burn Singha Durbar.” Video metadata obtained by the Post shows the main western gate was already on fire by 2:05pm. Following messages on Discord then centred on saving the building.

At 2:07 pm, user “Diwakar Dulal” posted: “Dear Gen Z friends, national data centres are in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, and Hetauda. Please avoid arson or vandalism. Similarly, police stations, administrative offices, land revenue offices, courts, and municipalities hold sensitive national data. Some self‑interested groups may try to cause damage, so stay alert.” The message was repeated 87 times.

At 2:27 pm, user Lucifer wrote: “Guys, save Singha Durbar. That’s our data centre.” He later updated at 2:30pm: “Guys, back from Singha Durbar.” Despite these warnings, the fire continued to spread.

Then prime minister KP Sharma Oli resigned around 2pm, though the move was seen as too little too late. Fire also broke out at the nearby Supreme Court. On Discord, users questioned the actions: “Why are we burning courts?” and “Why vandalise the Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s office?”. By about 3pm, many messages called for protecting Singha Durbar and the Supreme Court, yet both continued to burn.

The army faced criticism for failing to contain the blaze. Manoj Thapa, director of the Nepal Army’s Military Operations Department, said that by 1:30 pm the army firetrucks were inside Singha Durbar and had extinguished the fire at the main entrance. There was coordination with the Kathmandu Metropolitan Fire Department, though access was blocked at several points. Officials said human safety was prioritised, as the crowd at the entrance was highly agitated.

Plans to set fire to Sheetal Niwas and Prime Minister’s residence

Discord messages show that on the morning of September 9, users were preparing to target Sheetal Niwas, the presidential residence. At 10:53 am, Shree 3 Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji wrote: “Everyone, Ministerial Quarters Pulchok, PM residence Baluwatar, President’s residence Sheetal Niwas.” Other users responded in agreement.

Misinformation spread quickly. Around 11 am, ‘Cray’ claimed that a relative of the current IGP reported over 60 deaths from civil and hospital sources. The claims were false but fueled panic and anger. By around 4pm, Sheetal Niwas was set ablaze.

Messages urging an attack on the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar began circulating. At 10:24 am, a user named Daddy wrote: “KP Oli… insiders say he may escape. Go to Baluwatar quickly.” Many users then discussed storming Baluwatar at 5 pm or 6 pm to coincide with the all‑party meeting.

A helicopter landed at Baluwatar at 12:51pm to evacuate security personnel with the prime minister. Discord user Muffin posted updates on this four times. By around 2 pm, the crowd had breached Baluwatar, resulting in vandalism and fire.

Discord messages also reveal plans to loot the Baishespati-based ministerial quarters. At 8:34 am, ‘Sank’ wrote: “If you burn Parliament and the PM residence, also loot Baishespati ministerial quarters.” By 12:15 pm, Tear Talk updated: “Baishespati ministerial quarters also burned, guys.” Video and photo metadata confirm the building was ablaze by 1:58 pm.

Plans to attack Tribhuvan International Airport

After ministers evacuated Baishespati ministerial quarters by helicopter, Discord chatter turned to the airport. Messages ranged from plans to blow up petrol pumps to calls to set the airport on fire.

At 1:45 am on September 9, a user named Applepie111 wrote, “Go and …[expletive]… blow up the petrol pump at Koteshwar airport too.” Immediately after, the same user wrote, “Airport closed, imports closed, civil war, ordering guns from India… [violent message]… to everyone.”

On September 9 at 9:21 am, “Bishwas Thapa” said: “Keep an eye on the airport. Don’t let anyone escape.” Zeus added, “KP is fleeing,” and others urged, “Block the airport.” At 10:40am, PLUTO tagged all members and wrote: “Tell everyone to get to the airport as quickly as possible.”

Rumours that Oli was fleeing drove these discussions. The word “airport” appeared 769 times in Discord chats, with conversations ranging from surrounding the site to attacking and bombing it.

Manoj Thapa, director of the NA’s Military Operations Department, said the army stopped a group carrying gelatine trying to attack Tribhuvan International Airport. He noted at a press conference that preventing an airport attack would avoid harming Nepal’s international reputation.

Chemical weapons discussions in Discord

Analysis of Discord chats from September 7-9, using chat analytics, showed 87.33 percent of messages were negative. Frequent keywords included “Oli,” “Sher Bahadur,” “Prachanda,” “police,” and “protest.”

The New York Times reported possible use of chemicals such as sodium or magnesium in the arson. Discord messages mention “sodium” six times; first at 11:27 am on September 8, by user Krish2468: “Does anyone know where to buy sodium metal?” At 11:34 am, he wrote: “We Gen Z, if we get sodium metal, can make our own weapons.” Later at 11:46pm he wrote: “Molotov, khukuri. If accessible, bring acid, sodium, or chemicals to rust barricades.” Magnesium was not mentioned.

The word “chemical” appeared seven times, first on September 8 at 10:35 pm by user Tietole: “A full body cover is the most important, tear gas chemical makes it hard.”

On September 8 at 11:37 pm, Krish2468 asked, “Can we bring chemical weapons from school?” At 12:36 am, user Aaruuuuuu wrote: “Even if chemicals are put in a water bottle, no one will notice.”

A crowdsourced review of over 200 videos confirmed the use of Molotov cocktails against Parliament. The term “Molotov cocktail” appeared 356 times in Discord.

Authorities await confirmation from the central forensic lab on whether sodium or other chemicals were actually used. “Some samples have been sent; more are being collected,” a senior police official said.

Following the September 9 arson, questions about the rapid spread of flames prompted the formation of a nine‑member investigation committee led by Superintendent of Police Kaji Kumar Acharya of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office. Members include SP Shalikram Sharma and DSP Chandra Thapa of Kathmandu Police, as well as technical staff from the central forensic lab.

The technical team will collect representative samples from Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court, Congress and UML offices, and submit them to the central forensic lab. Another team will help in the analysis. Authorities emphasised the need to confirm chemicals in order to mitigate future risks and to dispel doubts.