RANKINGS / RIOTS
How big was France’s nationwide protest on 17 October 2026 next to the riots in the history books? I lined up 100 riots and uprisings, from the 6th century to today, with figures and sources.
1905–07
After troops fired on a petition march on Bloody Sunday, strikes, peasant revolts and the Potemkin mutiny spread. The tsar promised an elected legislature in the October Manifesto.
1978–79
Protests over a newspaper article attacking Ayatollah Khomeini spread nationwide. Months of strikes and mass marches followed; the Shah left the country and the monarchy fell in February 1979.
Sources:Wikipedia: Iranian Revolution ↗Wikipedia: Casualties of the Iranian Revolution ↗
2021
After the military seized power on 1 February 2021, people across the country joined street protests and a civil disobedience movement. The army cracked down with live fire, and resistance later turned to armed conflict.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2021 Myanmar protests ↗Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (Al Jazeera, 2021-05-03) ↗
Linear scale · Turnout is a peak or cumulative headline figure; days are approximate. "+" marks a lower bound.
A student movement against quotas in government jobs turned into a call for the government to go after security forces opened fire. On 5 August Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.
Following Tunisia's uprising, mass protests centred on Cairo's Tahrir Square. Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule collapsed, and power passed to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Student protests over economic collapse and one-party rule spread nationwide with the general strike of 8 August 1988. The military seized power on 18 September and crushed the movement.
Sources:Wikipedia: 8888 Uprising ↗
A declaration of independence read in Seoul set off protests against Japanese colonial rule across Korea. Harsh suppression left many dead, and the movement led to the Korean Provisional Government.
The police killing of George Floyd set off protests nationwide. Most were peaceful, but arson and looting hit many cities and dozens imposed curfews.
Daily protests against President Maduro began after the Supreme Court moved to strip the opposition-led National Assembly of its powers. More than 160 people died, and the government set up a Constituent Assembly.
A Santiago metro fare rise sparked protests that grew into anger over inequality. Stations were burned and shops looted, a state of emergency followed, and the unrest led to a referendum on a new constitution.
Chariot-racing factions turned against Emperor Justinian I, and nearly half the city burned. Troops ended the revolt by trapping and killing the crowd gathered in the Hippodrome.
Sources:Wikipedia: Nika riots ↗
The death of former party leader Hu Yaobang prompted students to occupy Tiananmen Square, calling for political reform. On 4 June troops opened fire around the square, killing many.
Sources:Wikipedia: 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre ↗
After agents beat a woman selling untaxed cigarettes in Taipei, protests against the Nationalist government spread across the island. Troops sent from the mainland suppressed them, killing many civilians.
Young Iraqis protested unemployment, corruption and failing public services, and security forces and militias answered with live fire. Hundreds were killed, and Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi resigned in December 2019.
After Britain exiled Wafd leader Saad Zaghloul, students, peasants and workers struck and protested across Egypt. It led to British recognition of Egyptian independence in 1922.
Protests over bread prices grew into a movement against Omar al-Bashir's 30-year rule. The army removed Bashir in April 2019, and more than 100 people were killed when a Khartoum sit-in was broken up in June.
Sources:Wikipedia: Sudanese revolution ↗
Mahsa Amini, 22, died after the morality police detained her over her headscarf, and protests under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" spread nationwide. The authorities responded with a crackdown and executions.
Protests by women over bread rationing grew into a general strike, and the capital's garrison joined the crowds. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, ending Romanov rule.
Sources:Wikipedia: February Revolution ↗
Reformist supporters alleged that President Ahmadinejad's re-election was rigged and staged mass protests in Tehran and elsewhere. Security forces and militia suppressed them, killing, injuring and detaining many.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2009 Iranian presidential election protests ↗
Protests began after President Yanukovych dropped plans to sign an association agreement with the EU, leading to a long occupation of Kyiv's Independence Square. After deadly clashes in February 2014, he fled the country.
Sources:Wikipedia: Euromaidan ↗
A violent crackdown on protests against social-security reforms turned them into a nationwide movement calling for President Ortega to step down. Police and pro-government armed groups killed more than 300 people.
A police raid on a sit-in against redeveloping Istanbul's Gezi Park turned it into nationwide anti-government protests. Some 3.5 million people are estimated to have joined almost 5,000 demonstrations.
Sources:Wikipedia: Gezi Park protests ↗
A student protest in Budapest became a national uprising after secret police opened fire, and the Nagy government declared it would leave the Warsaw Pact. Soviet forces returned to crush it, and about 200,000 people fled abroad.
Student occupations and street battles in Paris spread into a nationwide general strike. The whole country stopped, and de Gaulle was forced to dissolve the National Assembly.
Sources:Wikipedia: May 68 ↗
A proposed tax on WhatsApp calls set off cross-sectarian anti-government protests nationwide. Roads were blocked for weeks, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned at the end of October.
Paris workers raised barricades after the government moved to close the National Workshops that employed the jobless. The army crushed the revolt, and thousands were deported to Algeria.
Sources:Wikipedia: June Days uprising ↗
Protests against the eviction of a pastor in Timișoara spread across the country, and crowds clashed with security forces in Bucharest. Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were executed on 25 December.
Sources:Wikipedia: Romanian revolution ↗
Protests by women in Toyama over soaring rice prices spread to about 500 places, and troops were sent in. The Terauchi cabinet resigned and Hara Takashi formed Japan's first party cabinet.
Sources:Wikipedia: Rice riots of 1918 ↗Wikipedia（日本語）: 1918年米騒動 ↗
Students and citizens protesting the expansion of martial law and the arrest of Kim Dae-jung were attacked by paratroopers, and residents armed themselves. The army retook the city on 27 May.
Sources:Wikipedia: Gwangju Uprising ↗
A strike against railroad wage cuts spread from West Virginia across the country. Clashes with militia and federal troops in Pittsburgh and other cities left many dead.
Red Shirt supporters of former prime minister Thaksin occupied central Bangkok, demanding that parliament be dissolved. The army cleared the protest site in May; 91 people died in the clashes overall.
The arrest of activists calling for a constitution brought hundreds of thousands into the streets of Bangkok. Troops opened fire, killing dozens, but the Thanom military government fell.
A law offering citizenship to migrants from neighbouring countries, but not to Muslims, drew student-led protests nationwide. Clashes with police followed, and the movement ended with the COVID-19 lockdown.
Protests against a bus fare rise in São Paulo merged with anger over public services, corruption and World Cup spending. Marches took place in over 100 cities, and the fare rises were reversed.
The body of a high school student killed during protests against a rigged election was found in Masan, and protests spread to Seoul. Police gunfire killed many, and President Syngman Rhee resigned.
Sources:Wikipedia: April Revolution ↗
Outrage over the cover-up of a student's death under torture and the government's refusal of direct presidential elections spread nationwide. On 29 June the government accepted direct elections.
East Berlin construction workers struck over higher work quotas, and the next day the protest became an uprising in about 700 places. Soviet tanks put it down.
It began as anger over a fuel-tax rise. Saturday protests went on for months; in Paris the Arc de Triomphe was vandalised and shops on the Champs-Élysées burned.
A sudden rise in gasoline prices set off protests across the country. The government shut down most internet access, and security forces opened fire, killing hundreds within days.
Farmers opposed three laws deregulating crop markets and camped at Delhi's borders for over a year. On 26 January 2021 some entered the Red Fort, and the government repealed the laws that November.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest ↗Al Jazeera (2021-10-03) ↗
A petition march against a law easing restrictions on Catholics turned into riots that hit chapels, Newgate Prison and the Bank of England. The army was sent in to end it.
Sources:Wikipedia: Gordon Riots ↗
Mass protests opposed a bill allowing extradition to mainland China. The bill was withdrawn, but clashes with police escalated; the movement subsided amid COVID-19 and the 2020 National Security Law.
The National Union of Mineworkers struck against planned pit closures, and pickets clashed with police across the coalfields. The strike ended in defeat after a year, and the closures went ahead.
Claims of fraud in the election that gave Lukashenko a sixth term brought the largest protests in the country's history. The authorities answered with mass detentions, and the government held on.
Protests against police violence toward students grew into a mass movement. On 2 October, ten days before the Olympics opened, troops fired on a rally at Tlatelolco, killing many.
Sources:Wikipedia: Mexican Movement of 1968 ↗Wikipedia: Tlatelolco massacre ↗
Protests against revising the US–Japan Security Treaty surrounded the National Diet again and again. The treaty passed, but the Kishi cabinet resigned.
Sources:Wikipedia: Anpo protests ↗
A street vendor's self-immolation in protest at his treatment by officials set off nationwide protests over unemployment and corruption. President Ben Ali fled the country, and the uprising sparked the Arab Spring.
Sources:Wikipedia: Tunisian revolution ↗
Unions held repeated national strikes and marches against raising the pension age from 62 to 64. When the government passed the reform without a parliamentary vote, clashes intensified across the country.
Protests against coup leader General Suchinda becoming prime minister drew over 200,000 people in Bangkok. Troops opened fire, killing and wounding many, and after the king intervened, Suchinda resigned.
Opposition to exporting natural gas through Chile spread into road blockades and marches. Army crackdowns killed dozens, mostly in El Alto, and President Sánchez de Lozada resigned and left the country.
A protest over a fuel-gas price rise in Zhanaozen spread nationwide, and government buildings in Almaty were set on fire. The president authorised shooting, and Russian-led CSTO troops were sent in.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2022 Kazakh unrest ↗
Farmers and supporting students opposed the construction of Narita Airport, which was decided without local consent. Clashes over land seizures and the opening left people dead and delayed the airport for years.
Sources:Wikipedia: Sanrizuka Struggle ↗Wikipedia（日本語）: 三里塚闘争 ↗
Protests over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma grew, against a backdrop of unemployment and poverty, into mass looting and arson. Shops and warehouses were hit, and the army was deployed.
Unions and students called a national strike against a tax plan during the pandemic. The bill was withdrawn and the finance minister resigned, but a harsh police response left dozens dead and many missing.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2021 Colombian protests ↗CIVICUS Monitor: Colombia four months after the national strike ↗
A labour dispute at an artificial-flower factory grew into leftist protests against the colonial government, influenced by the Cultural Revolution. A wave of bombings followed, and 51 people died.
A general strike and mass protests called by the party alliance, backed by the Maoists, opposed King Gyanendra's direct rule. The king reinstated parliament, a step toward the monarchy's abolition in 2008.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2006 democracy movement in Nepal ↗Human Rights Watch: World Report 2007 – Nepal ↗
After President Castillo was removed and detained, protests demanding the new government's resignation and early elections spread, mainly in the south. Clashes with security forces left dozens dead.
A constitutional change widening the electoral roll angered young Indigenous Kanaks, and arson and looting broke out in Nouméa. France sent in reinforcements, and the reform was shelved.
Anger over rising prices and unemployment brought young people into the streets of Algiers, where they attacked state buildings. The army fired on crowds, and the unrest led to the end of one-party rule.
Sources:Wikipedia: 1988 October Riots ↗
A fuel price rise under an economic reform package, and the bus fare hikes that followed, set off riots and looting across the capital region. The army was sent in, and many civilians were killed.
Sources:Wikipedia: Caracazo ↗
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. set off riots in more than 100 cities, including Washington, Chicago and Baltimore. National Guard and federal troops were sent to many of them.
Police opened fire on schoolchildren marching against compulsory teaching in Afrikaans. The unrest spread across the country and became a turning point in the struggle against apartheid.
Sources:Wikipedia: Soweto uprising ↗
The assassination of Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán set off riots that destroyed much of downtown Bogotá in about 10 hours. It deepened the period of civil conflict known as La Violencia.
Sources:Wikipedia: Bogotazo ↗
The Trades Union Congress called out transport and heavy-industry workers to back coal miners facing wage cuts. The government kept services running with volunteers, and the strike was called off after 9 days.
Young Kenyans organised online against a finance bill raising taxes, and on 25 June they broke into Parliament, part of which burned. Police gunfire killed dozens, and the president withdrew the bill.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2024 Kenyan protests ↗Citizen Digital: KNCHR report (2024-07-16) ↗
An economic crisis left shortages of fuel and food, and protesters demanded the Rajapaksa government step down. On 9 July they entered the President's House, and President Gotabaya fled abroad and resigned.
Young Nigerians protested abuses by the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The unit was disbanded, but on 20 October soldiers opened fire on protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.
Sources:Wikipedia: End SARS ↗
A scuffle during the drunk-driving arrest of a young Black man set off anger at police abuse and discrimination. About 14,000 National Guard troops were deployed, and 34 people died in six days.
Sources:Wikipedia: Watts riots ↗
Triggered by the acquittal of four officers who beat Rodney King. Large parts of the city burned, and the National Guard and federal troops were deployed.
After Milošević refused to accept defeat in the presidential election, hundreds of thousands converged on Belgrade and stormed the federal parliament. He conceded the next day and stepped down.
Protests by monks in Lhasa turned into riots on 14 March and spread to nearby Tibetan areas. Death tolls range from 23 (Chinese government) to over 200 (Tibetan government-in-exile).
Sources:Wikipedia: 2008 Tibetan unrest ↗
Anger at the Civil War draft lottery turned into riots in which many Black residents were attacked and killed. Federal troops brought back from Gettysburg restored order.
Cuts to subsidies on bread and other staples, agreed with the IMF, sent prices soaring and set off riots in several cities. The army was deployed and the government reversed the price rises.
Anger at the "corralito" limits on bank withdrawals set off looting and protests nationwide. President de la Rúa resigned a day after declaring a state of emergency, and several interim presidents followed in quick succession.
A police raid on an unlicensed after-hours bar set off the unrest. The National Guard and federal troops were deployed, and more than 400 buildings were destroyed.
Sources:Wikipedia: 1967 Detroit riot ↗
Crowds angry that the peace treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War brought no indemnity gathered at Hibiya Park and burned police stations, police boxes and a newspaper office. The government declared martial law.
Sources:Wikipedia: Hibiya incendiary incident ↗Wikipedia（日本語）: 日比谷焼打事件 ↗
About 200,000 people came to Genoa to oppose the G8 summit and clashed with police. One protester was shot dead by a carabiniere, and a police raid on a school used as a dormitory later drew wide criticism.
Sources:Wikipedia: 27th G8 summit ↗
Two teenagers electrocuted while hiding from police set it off. It spread from the Paris suburbs to housing estates nationwide, and the government declared a state of emergency.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2005 French riots ↗
The yellow vests joined student protests over rising living costs. Town halls were attacked in several cities; so far it has lasted one day with no deaths, and the ranking will be updated if it continues.
Japan's nationalization of the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands set off anti-Japanese protests across China. Japanese-owned factories and stores were set on fire or looted, and Japanese cars were smashed in many cities.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2012 China anti-Japanese demonstrations ↗
The police shooting of a 15-year-old in Athens set off student-led protests and rioting across the country. Shops and banks were burned in what was called the worst unrest since democracy returned in 1974.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2008 Greek riots ↗
A protest over the police shooting of a man in Tottenham, north London, gave way to looting and arson that spread from London to other cities. Property damage was estimated at about £200 million.
Sources:Wikipedia: 2011 England riots ↗
A march against the Thatcher government's poll tax, the Community Charge, turned into clashes with police around Trafalgar Square. The tax was later abolished.
Sources:Wikipedia: Poll tax riots ↗EBSCO Research Starters: British Riot over Poll Tax ↗
A 17-year-old shot dead by police at a traffic stop set it off. Arson spread night after night, and one mayor's home was attacked.
Sources:Wikipedia: Killing of Nahel Merzouk ↗Wikipedia: Nahel Merzouk riots ↗
A Human Rights Day rally organized by Formosa Magazine ended in clashes with police and troops. Opposition leaders were tried by military court, and the case fed Taiwan's later democratization.
At least 40,000 people protested the WTO ministerial conference and blockaded the venue; police responded with tear gas. The talks collapsed, and the anti-globalization movement gained worldwide attention.
Angered by the dismissal of finance minister Necker, Parisians seized the Bastille fortress, a symbol of royal power, in search of arms and gunpowder. It is seen as the start of the French Revolution.
Beijing students rallied at Tiananmen after the Paris Peace Conference gave Japan Germany's former rights in Shandong. Protests spread nationwide, and China's delegates refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
Sources:Wikipedia: May Fourth Movement ↗
On International Anti-War Day, New Left demonstrators protesting US military fuel shipments stormed Shinjuku Station, setting fires and throwing stones. Police invoked the riot law and arrested 743 people.
Sources:Wikipedia: 新宿騒乱 ↗
After three girls were stabbed to death in Southport, false claims about the attacker spread online and anti-immigration riots broke out in many towns. Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers were attacked.
Days after the US occupation ended, part of the May Day march forced its way into the banned Imperial Palace Plaza and fought police. Police gunfire killed protesters, and 1,232 people were arrested.
Sources:Wikipedia: Bloody May Day (1952) ↗Wikipedia（日本語）: 血のメーデー事件 ↗
The police killing of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, led to protests and looting. Rioting returned in November when the officer was not indicted, and protests spread across the US.
Sources:Wikipedia: Ferguson unrest ↗
Supporters of President Trump forced their way into the Capitol to stop the certification of the election result. Lawmakers were evacuated, and the count resumed hours later, finishing before dawn.
Amid anger over a mass stop-and-search operation, young Black residents clashed with police. The government's Scarman Report afterwards called for changes in policing and community relations.
Sources:Wikipedia: 1981 Brixton riot ↗
At a rally for the eight-hour day, someone threw a bomb at police, and gunfire followed. Anarchists were later executed, and the event became the origin of May Day.
Sources:Wikipedia: Haymarket affair ↗
News that a Nishinari police detective had taken bribes from a yakuza group sent day labourers to the police station. It was fierce but stayed inside one neighbourhood.
Sources:Wikipedia: 西成暴動 ↗
A week after President Lula took office, supporters of defeated former president Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. Buildings and artworks were damaged and many were detained.
Anger over the handling of a traffic accident in which a US serviceman hit a local resident led crowds to set fire to vehicles owned by Americans. Around 80 cars were burned.
Sources:Wikipedia: コザ暴動 ↗
Riot police took two days to clear Yasuda Auditorium, which student radicals had occupied since the previous year. The University of Tokyo cancelled its entrance exams that year.
Sources:Wikipedia: 東大安田講堂事件 ↗
Patrons and local residents resisted a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, and clashes continued over several nights. The riots are widely seen as a starting point of the gay rights movement.
Sources:Wikipedia: Stonewall riots ↗
Every figure was checked against the sources below, mainly English Wikipedia (Japanese Wikipedia for events in Japan) and news reports. Where sources disagree, the conservative figure is shown with "+" and the range is given in the text.