On Thursday October 30th, 1884, a sacred and peaceful observance of Muharram in Trinidad was shattered by violence. A procession made up of communities from the sugarcane estates and villages in the Naparimas were following their customary route to and through High Street, San Fernando to drown their tadjahs at King’s Wharf.

However, they were fired upon by the British colonial police who had been waiting for them. The police discharged 43 shots at two entrances into San Fernando; Cipero Street and the Mon Repos junction. These shots killed at least eighteen participants and injured at least one hundred others. The authorities tried to justify these atrocities by describing the massacre as “The Hosay Riots”.

This assault, now known as the Muharram Massacre of 1884, stands as one of the most painful and overlooked moments in our nation’s past. The unheeded cries of those who died were never given the space they deserve in our public memory. Now, we have the power to change that.

Iere Theatre Productions Limited, in conjunction with Friends of Mr. Biswas, is embarking on a project to build a monument to memorialize the Muharram Massacre of 1884 in the vicinity of the Cocoyea Roundabout. This monument will honour their lives, tell their story, and reclaim this history with dignity and truth. This memorial will not only be a physical place of remembrance, but a national symbol of resilience, national pride, and the quest for justice for future generations.

The overall cost of the monument is $350,000 TTD. We have already raised a percentage of this, however, we need your support for the remaining $150,000 TTD. Your contribution, no matter the size, will help transform silence into recognition, and loss into legacy. Join our procession to ensure that what happened in 1884 will be reinstated as nation-building and that those who made sacrifices will be honoured for generations to come.