World Uyghur Congress remembers victims of Urumchi massacre

"On July 5, 2009, thousands of Uyghurs took to the streets and marched towards the People’s Square in central Urumchi to protest the Chinese government’s handling of the Shaoguan incident, during which several Uyghurs were killed by a mob of Chinese factory workers in a dispute," read the statement issued by the WUC.

“The 2009 Urumchi Massacre stands as one of the darkest episodes in the history of the Uyghur people,” says WUC President Dolkun Isa. “The Chinese government’s harsh crackdown on the protest marked a pivotal turning point, intensifying the repression of the Uyghur people and resulting in the current genocide.”

From July 5-7, 2009, thousands of peaceful Uyghur protesters demanding equal treatment and respect for their rights and freedoms were killed, disappeared, or injured at the hands of Chinese police forces.

Hundreds of Chinese police with shields, rifles, and clubs moved to disperse and arrest the protesters before they reached Urumchi People’s Square.

The heavy-handed response resulted in unrest among the protesters, further escalating the situation and leading to a brutal crackdown by Chinese authorities.

Following the incident, the regional government imposed a communications blackout that lasted for months, preventing the flow of information.