As of 2026-10-12, Mahsa Amini protests tops the list with 522 deaths.
- #1 Mahsa Amini protests — 522 deaths
Iranian protest movement in 2022–2023
Civil unrest and protests against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran associated with the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini began on 16 September 2022 and carried on into 2023, but by spring 2023, the protests had largely subsided, ultimately leaving the political leadership unchanged and firmly entrenched in power. The protests were described as "unlike any the country had seen before", the "biggest challenge" to the government, and "most widespread revolt" since the Islamic... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre — 400 deaths
Chinese pro-democracy movement and subsequent massacre
Protests led by students and workers, known in China as the June Fourth Incident, were held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Chinese government to find a peaceful resolution, the Chinese government initiated martial law in late May and deployed troops to occupy the square on the night of 3 June in what is referred to as the Tiananmen Square massacre. The events are sometimes called the '89... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #3 2021 South African unrest — 212 deaths
protest
The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Resulting protests against the incarceration triggered wider rioting and looting, much of it said to be undertaken by people not in support of Zuma and fuelled by job layoffs and economic inequality... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 1961 Paris massacre — 200 deaths
1961 massacre of Algerian protesters by police
The 1961 Paris massacre was the mass killing of Algerians who were living in Paris by the French National Police. It occurred on 17 October 1961, during the Algerian War (1954–62). Under orders from the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon, the National Police attacked a demonstration by 30,000 pro-National Liberation Front (FLN) Algerians. After 37 years of denial and censorship of the press, in 1998 the government finally acknowledged 40 deaths, while some historians estimate that... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 Black Spring — 126 deaths
series of violent disturbances and political demonstrations in Algeria in 2001
The Black Spring was a series of protests and political demonstrations by Kabyle activists in the Kabylie region of Algeria in 2001, which were met by repressive and violent police measures and became a potent symbol of Kabyle discontent with the national government. The protests took place against a backdrop of long-standing cultural marginalization of the Highlander Kabyle, a homogeneous Berber linguistic group in Algeria despite the most rigid government-sponsored Arabization measures of the... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #6 Euromaidan — 104 deaths
2013–2014 pro-european protests in Ukraine
Euromaidan, or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv. The protests were sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych's sudden decision not to sign the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, instead choosing closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Ukraine's parliament had overwhelmingly approved of finalising the Agreement with the EU, but Russia had put... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #7 Sudanese Revolution — 61 deaths
2018–2019 protests and radical change of government in Sudan
The Sudanese revolution was a major shift of political power in Sudan that started with street protests throughout Sudan on 19 December 2018 and continued with sustained civil disobedience for about eight months, during which the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état deposed President Omar al-Bashir on 11 April after thirty years in power. On 3 June, the Khartoum massacre took place under the leadership of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) that replaced al-Bashir, and in July and August 2019 the TMC... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #8 Poznań 1956 protests — 57 deaths
demonstration against the communist regime in Poland
The first of several massive protests against the communist government of the Polish People's Republic took place in Poznań from 28 to 30 June 1956. Demonstrations by workers demanding better working conditions began at Poznań's Cegielski Factories and were met with violent repression. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #9 Athens Polytechnic uprising — 40 deaths
massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Athens Polytechnic uprising occurred in November 1973 as a massive student demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. It began on 14 November 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta revolt, and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of 17 November after a series of events starting with a tank crashing through the gates of the Athens Polytechnic. According to a detailed 2004 research published by the National Hellenic Research Foundation, at least 24 people... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 2019–2021 Chilean protests — 34 deaths
Period of major social and civil unrest in Chile.
Social Outburst was a series of massive demonstrations and severe riots occurring mainly between October 2019 and March 2020, in response to a rise in the Santiago Metro's subway fare, a probity crisis, cost of living, university graduate unemployment, privatisation, and inequality prevalent in the country. It originated in Santiago and took place in all regions of Chile, with greater effect in the regional capitals. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata