KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Police in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu opened fire Monday on demonstrators protesting a government attempt to regulate social media that blocked some of the world’s largest platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube. At least 17 people were killed.

The protest was led by young people who oppose the ban in a country which relies heavily on social media platforms.

Nepal has lifted a social media ban that sparked deadly anti-corruption protests in the Himalayan nation, with 19 people killed and more than 100 injured as security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.