8 of the Largest Protests in Human History
Largest Human Gathering
From the protests in Hong Kong to a recent Global Climate Strike, here are eight answers to the question, “What are some excellent examples of the largest human gathering protests in history?”
- The 2019 Hong Kong Protests
- The 2011 Tahrir Square Protests
- The 2020 Worldwide Black Lives Matter Protests
- The 1981 Solidarity Day March in Washington
- The 2003 Protests Against the Invasion of Iraq
- The 2021 Indian Farmers Protest
- The 2017 Women’s March
- The 2019 Global Climate Strike
The 2019 Hong Kong Protests
The 2019 Hong Kong protests are one of the largest human gathering protests in history. The protest was driven by months of increasing discontent with the city’s government and its relationship with mainland China.
It began in June when a proposed extradition bill, which would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial, sparked mass demonstrations across the city. Over two million people participated in the protests, and it is estimated that two million attended a single rally at its peak.
The protests have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement that has seen regular demonstrations, including leaderless marches and rallies, organized by protesters of all ages.
Aviad Faruz, CEO, FARUZO
The 2011 Tahrir Square Protests
The Tahrir Square protests were a series of demonstrations and protests in Cairo, Egypt, that began in January 2011 and resulted in the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. At its peak, about two million people were gathered in Tahrir Square.
Matthew Appleton, E-commerce Manager, Appleton Sweets
The 2020 Worldwide Black Lives Matter Protests
The Black Lives Matter protests were a series of demonstrations and protests that took place worldwide in 2020 in response to police brutality and systemic racism against Black people. The protests were estimated to have drawn tens of millions of people worldwide.
Salim Benadel, Director, Storm Internet
The 1981 Solidarity Day March in Washington
On September 19, 1981, a march commemorating Solidarity Day was held in Washington, D.C. Numerous people demonstrated against President Reagan’s tax and budgetary policies.
Over 260,000 people participated in the Solidarity Day march in Washington, D.C., in 1981. Ronald Reagan’s decision to dismiss 12,000 air traffic controllers who went on strike and sought pay raises and safer working conditions served as the catalyst for it.
Daniel Foley Carter, Founder, Daniel Foley
The 2003 Protests Against the Invasion of Iraq
According to The Huffington Post, on February 15, 2003, protests opposing President George W. Bush’s plans to invade Iraq took place in over 600 locations. Three million people took part in the protest in Rome alone.
Yet, the invasion of Iraq started a few weeks later. For months, President Bush had contended that Iraq was breaking U.N. resolutions pertaining to WMD. After he spoke at the U.N. in September 2002, protests against his invasion strategy erupted shortly after. Towards the end of 2002, the European Social Forum, a conference of worldwide justice forces, planned a day of protest in February 2003.
Dean Lee, Head of Marketing, Sealions
The 2021 Indian Farmers Protest
Tens of thousands of Indian farmers who had been protesting against proposed changes to the regulations governing their crops returned home at the beginning of December 2021.
According to the Business and Human Rights Information Centre, it ended demonstrations that had seen some 250 million people take to the streets. After 18 months of activity, the Narendra Modi administration was compelled to reverse course. The standards governing the sale, valuation, and storage of farm products would be more lenient under the proposed legislation. Farmers claimed that it would put them at the mercy of large corporations.
Hamza Usmani, Head of Content, Believe Money
The 2017 Women’s March
One example of a large human gathering protest in history is the Women’s March that took place on January 21, 2017. It was a global event that saw millions of people protesting against the newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, and his policies. The protest saw about 5 million people taking part in over 800 cities worldwide.
The Women’s March was a response to Trump’s comments about women and minorities during his campaign and the concern that his presidency would roll back the progress that had been made on issues such as reproductive rights, civil and human rights, and social justice. The march was not just limited to women; it included individuals of all genders and races, as well as various organizations, including LGBTQ+ groups, immigrant rights groups, and environmental groups.
Philip Atkinson, Founder, Ignite Images
The 2019 Global Climate Strike
The 2019 Global Climate Strike is an example of one of the largest human gatherings in history. It was an international protest in which millions of people from over 163 countries participated, demanding immediate action to combat climate change.
Several youth-led organizations, including the Fridays for Future movement, organized the protest. The turnout was so large that it has been described as the largest climate protest in history, and has since been recognized as one of the largest human gatherings in history.
Ranee Zhang, VP of Growth, Airgram
