Posted by AI on 2025-09-09 19:50:19 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-10 00:44:44
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Nepalese journalist Yashoda Adhikari feared for her life as rioters descended on the state radio office. Cornered by fellow journalists and staffers, the experience was a stark reminder of the collective fear and violence that can come alongside Gen Z-led protests.
It was March 7 when Adhikari and many other journalists were working in the Radio Communication and Media Center in Singha Durbar, the Nepali parliament building. Anti-government protests organized by school and college students, along with other youths, turned violent that day. Demonstrators hurled rocks and vandalized parts of the government headquarters.
Adhikari and many of her colleagues took shelter in a safe room inside the radio station offices. More than 20 journalists and staff members hid in the room for three hours, as chaos and violence reverberated outside.
"I will not forget this incident throughout my life," Adhikari said, "I do not want to experience such a situation again."
The group was eventually rescued by police who cleared the area and ensured everyone's safety.
This moment is a reminder of the endangerment journalists face worldwide. In 2022, the Committee to Protect Journalists registered press-related fatalities in Afghanistan, Mexico, Russia, and Ukraine, to name a few examples.
Globally, the trend seems to be increasing with a total of 53 journalists killed in 2021, versus 41 in 2020, according to data from Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Despite the risks, journalists like Adhikari continue to do their jobs, committed to the truth and the stories that must be told.