Pidjiguiti Day
Pidjiguiti Day is a national holiday in Guinea-Bissau, observed on August 3rd each year. This day commemorates the Pidjiguiti massacre that took place on this day in 1959. Dock workers went on strike, seeking higher pay, but a manager called the PIDE, the Portuguese state police, who fired into the crowd, killing at least 25 people. The government blamed the revolutionary group African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), arresting several of its members. The day of the massacre, 3 August, is a public day of remembrance in Guinea-Bissau. The holiday is an opportunity for the people of Guinea-Bissau to remember the victims of the massacre and reflect on the country’s history and struggle for independence.