Playing UNO, Cleaning Up Streets: 5 Viral Videos Of Gen Zs After Nepal Protests

Nepal has been gripped by major civil unrest, spearheaded by what has been dubbed "the most 'unserious' generation" - Gen Z. Protesters have set fire to the parliament building and taken to the streets for days, marching against corruption and ultimately forcing the Prime Minister to step down.

While the demonstrations have brought significant political change, videos capturing Gen Z's unique style of protesting have gone viral online, showing a generation turning activism into moments of creativity, humour, and social engagement.

From lying under an armoured truck while scrolling on a phone to making TikToks with military personnel, some visuals have captured hearts on the internet.

Here's a look at five such viral videos that led the protest:

1. Walking towards water cannons

Visuals of a young man walking towards an armoured convoy have been going viral, with several accounts reposting the same clip. Hands clasped at the back, wearing a backpack, he casually strolls over as police attempt to douse him with water.

The video, which has now garnered nearly 5 million views has been overlaid with the audio of another trending speech that recently gained traction online.

The audio is from another viral video, featuring the Head Boy of a local school, Abiskar Raut, as he addresses an annual day function. In the clip, he says: "If you do not raise your voices, who will? If you do not build this nation, who will? We are the fire that will burn away the darkness. We are the storm that will sweep away injustice and bring prosperity."

2. 'Unintentional aura farming'

Most people scroll on social media while lying in bed, this young man had other plans. Calmly lying under a truck filled with military personnel, dressed in a college uniform, he scrolls on his phone while the crowd around him records the unusual scene.

The clip, captioned 'unintentional aura farming' has over 6.2 million views and 420,000 likes. The video also shows a crowd gathering around the vehicle as they record the striking contrast between tension brought on by the authorities and boy's nonchalance during the protest.

3. Playing UNO, filming videos

A video compilation of how youth were infusing humour in their activism has also gone viral.

The video compilation has clips of young people playing UNO (a card game), people dancing in front of - and on top of - burning buildings, while others mock military personnel by imitating them.

The humorous video, which has amassed nearly 9 million views, highlights the creativity and lightheartedness with which this generation engages in civic action, earning praise from social media users worldwide.

4. Finding and returning stolen goods

Not all videos focused on humor. In one small district, youth actively recovered stolen goods in the aftermath of the protests.

Carrying carts full of items, they allegedly "visited every house" in Hadigaun to collect goods that had been stolen and lined the streets with them. Appliances like televisions, microwaves, and even a stovetop could be seen on the road as some gathered to look for their belongings.

5. Cleaning up the streets

"Day 1 of building the nation together", the original poster said in the caption of the video showing young men and women taking to the streets - hands gloved and broom in hand - ready to clean up.

They could be seen collecting rubble from the streets, sweeping the roads and picking up ash as they cleaned up their streets in a heartwarming show of care and responsibility towards their nation.

"We feel extremely accountable for what happened on September 8 and 9," the account said, thanking the local community for coming together to clean "the mess".

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