At one corner of Tinkune, Kathmandu, leaders of pro-monarchy groups delivered fiery speeches as waves of protesters arrived, waving national flags and chanting royalist slogans.  

On another stood Bishnu Adhikari, a flag vendor from Kalikot district in Karnali Province. With several flags in hand and more stacked by a nearby tree, he watched the growing crowd on Friday afternoon.

“I’ve already sold four,” Adhikari told New Business Age, pricing each between Rs 200 and Rs 300.  

Adhikari, however, is among thousands in Nepal who have fallen victim to cooperative fraud. “Khushi Cooperative is yet to return my hard-earned Rs 350,000,” he said, referring to the widespread financial mismanagement in cooperatives that has left many unable to access their savings.  

A year ago, he was selling carpets. But after losing access to his funds, he turned to selling flags out of necessity.  

Friday’s rival demonstrations —one by the Socialist Front at Pradarshani Marg in support of the federal democratic republic and another by pro-monarchy groups at Tinkune—have driven up flag sales.  

Dozens of vendors seized the moment, capitalizing on the political fervor to make a quick profit.