Violence in Nepal has left more than a dozen dead as mass protests continue across the country, and the impact is being felt half a world away here in West Hartford.

The town has the largest Nepali community in the state.

As a solemn silence holds over the crowd in front of West Hartford town hall, candles were held close as people mourned the lives lost.

“Your loss is not forgotten, and the sacrifice will never be in vain,” one speaker said.

A sacrifice the Nepali community in town is recognizing with a vigil.

“The police are supposed to protect our students, not kill them,” 16-year-old Alina Singh, of West Hartford, said.

She has family still in Nepal.

“As of right now, everyone’s safe from my side,” Singh said.

Her attention is focused on what’s going on half a world away. There are mass protests in Nepal led by Gen Z that were sparked by a short-lived social media ban last week.

It morphed into a protest over government corruption where anger has grown over the years, resulting in the torching of top leaders’ homes as well as the parliament building.

Many protestors were furious seeing the lavish lifestyle from children of politicians there in contrast to the poverty many in Nepal live in.

“It’s honestly disgusting what’s happening. All of our tax money going to nepo babies so they can get luxurious brands and Europe trips while our people in Nepal are struggling,” Singh said.

On Monday, police opened fire on protesters, killing 19 people.

“All we wanted was what’s better for our community and the police resort to shooting us. That is honestly disgusting behavior,” Singh said.

But that anger and sadness turned into resilience. The crowd waving their phones to a popular Nepali rock song about the flag and fighting for their country.

While it’s evening in West Hartford, it’s morning in Nepal. The prime minister resigned Tuesday leaving many people here wondering who the next leader will be. Some people say it’s an opportunity for change.

“We need like all the new generation who have to change the country now,” Angnima Lama, of West Hartford, said.

“We get a voice now. It’s not like the parents or the uncles or aunts speaking up. It’s us Gen Z,” Singh said.

All of them want a better future for their country and generation.

“It’s not just about Nepal, it’s about humanity,” one speaker said.

The Waterbury Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Monday night to approve an ordinance banning hourly hotel and motel room rentals in the city. It’s a move city officials say is aimed at reducing crime, including human trafficking and prostitution.

“We know that rooms rented by the hour cause only one thing, and that’s problems,” Paul Kondash, a city resident who supports the ordinance, said.

Proposed by Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr., the ordinance prohibits any hotel, motel or rooming house from renting rooms for fewer than 12 hours at a time.

Pernerewski said the ordinance is another tool to help law enforcement address criminal activity in the area.

“If you’re renting a room for an hour, three, four hours, we know what’s happening in there. It’s either prostitution, sex trafficking, there’s drug use, drug sales, maybe gambling as well…none of those things are legal, and they all drag down the neighborhood, the quality of life for everyone in Waterbury,” he said. “There’s no legitimate person that I know that’s coming to Waterbury looking to rent a hotel room for four hours.”

“There’s only really two hotels that we believe in Waterbury that do that. They will both tell you they don’t, but we believe that they do that in shorter blocks,” Pernerewski continued.

The mayor said the two hotels that have historically offered hourly rates are the Big Apple Motel on West Main Street and the Valley Motel on South Main Street.

NBC Connecticut called both the Big Apple and Valley motels on Monday. Aijaz Ahmad, owner of the Big Apple Motel, said his business stopped offering hourly rentals years ago.

“More than two years ago, we stopped those. We don’t give them no more,” Ahmad said. “A lot of people are traveling, and you can never judge it, but we’re not giving them.”

When asked whether he supports the ordinance, Ahmad replied, “Yes, we don’t want the prostitutes around here.”

Shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, NBC Connecticut called the Valley Motel without identifying ourselves, and inquired about hourly rates. A woman who answered the phone initially said it’s “too late,” but when asked about hourly rates the next day, she said a two-hour stay would cost $70.

A follow-up call identifying the station was answered, but a request to speak to the owner was denied.

Martin Spring, another city resident, said he supports the ordinance in theory, but questioned its broader implications.

“I think you’re violating people’s rights in a way,” Spring said. “What business is it of anybody’s what I’m doing? I understand what people are saying…you gotta look at both sides of the coin.”

“That to me would be a red light going up to people, think about it, who want to come to the city. They might look at this and say, you know, what is the city doing? What are they saying? That we can’t come in to Waterbury and we can’t rent a hotel room now?” he continued.

Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, a nonprofit supporting survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, voiced strong support for the ordinance.

A suspicious incident is under investigation in Haddam on Sunday, according to Connecticut State Police.

Troopers said their investigation is on Staba Drive. State police have not released details about what exactly they are investigating.

Staba Drive is currently closed. There is no estimate for the duration of the closure.

Anyone nearby is urged to avoid the area.

The investigation is active and ongoing.