Editing Trafalgar Square (section)

=== Political demonstrations ===
[[File:Rally at Trafalgar Square, part of the Mud March.jpg|alt=A demonstration in Trafalgar Square|right|thumb|A demonstration in Trafalgar Square]]
The square has become a social and political focus for visitors and Londoners, developing over its history from "an [[esplanade]] peopled with figures of national heroes, into the country's foremost ''place politique''", as historian Rodney Mace has written. Since its construction, it has been a venue for political demonstrations.{{sfn|Weinreb et al.|2008|p=935}} The great [[Chartism|Chartist]] rally in 1848, a campaign for social reform by the working class began in the square.{{sfn|Weinreb et al.|2008|p=935}} A ban on political rallies remained in effect until the 1880s, when the emerging [[Labour movement]], particularly the [[Social Democratic Federation]], began holding protests. On {{Nowrap|8 February}} 1886 (also known as "Black Monday"), protesters rallied against unemployment leading to a riot in [[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]]. A larger riot (''"[[Bloody Sunday (1887)|Bloody Sunday]]"'') occurred in the square on {{Nowrap|13 November}} 1887.{{sfn|Crick|1994|p=47}}

The [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]]'s first [[Aldermaston Marches|Aldermaston March]], protesting against the [[Atomic Weapons Establishment]] (AWE), began in the square in 1958.{{sfn|Weinreb et al.|2008|p=935}} One of the first significant demonstrations of the modern era was held in the square on {{Nowrap|19 September}} 1961 by the [[Committee of 100 (United Kingdom)|Committee of 100]], which included the philosopher [[Bertrand Russell]]. The protesters rallied for peace and against war and nuclear weapons. In March 1968, a crowd of 10,000 demonstrated against US involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] before marching to the [[Embassy of the United States, London|American Embassy]] in [[Grosvenor Square]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/17/newsid_2818000/2818967.stm |title=On This Day – 17 March – 1968: Anti-Vietnam demo turns violent |date=2008 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111134315/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/17/newsid_2818000/2818967.stm |archive-date=11 January 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

[[File:DemonstrationAgainstAntiTerrorismLawLondon23Jan.jpg|thumb|Protesting against harassment of photographers under anti-terrorism law, 23 January 2010|alt=Protests]]
Throughout the 1980s, a continuous anti-[[apartheid]] protest was held outside South Africa House. In 1990, the [[Poll Tax Riots]] began by a demonstration attended by 200,000 people and ultimately caused rioting in the surrounding area.{{sfn|Weinreb et al.|2008|p=935}} More recently, there have been anti-war demonstrations opposing the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan War]] and the [[Iraq War]].<ref>{{citation|author=Keith Flett|title=The Committee of 100: Sparking a new left|url=http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=5114|journal=[[Socialist Worker]]|issue=1933|date=8 January 2005|access-date=10 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321061644/http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=5114|archive-date=21 March 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> A large vigil was held shortly after the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|terrorist bombings in London]] on Thursday, {{Nowrap|7 July}} 2005.<ref>{{citation|title=London falls silent for bomb dead|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4679681.stm|work=BBC News|date=14 July 2005|access-date=22 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060722004846/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4679681.stm|archive-date=22 July 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2009, participants from the Camp for Climate Action occupied the square for the two weeks during which the UN Conference on Climate Change took place in [[Copenhagen]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/actions/copenhagen-2009/cop15-out |title=COP OUT CAMP OUT Âť Camp for Climate Action |publisher=Climatecamp.org.uk |access-date=26 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929120826/http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/actions/copenhagen-2009/cop15-out |archive-date=29 September 2011 }}</ref> It was billed as a UK base for direct action on climate change and saw various actions and protests stem from the occupation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443493.html?c=on#c239066 |title=UK Indymedia – Climate protestors scale Canadian Embassy and deface flag |publisher=Indymedia.org.uk |date=15 December 2009 |access-date=26 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443706.html |title=UK Indymedia – Climate Camp Trafalgar- Ice Bear action |publisher=Indymedia.org.uk |date=18 December 2009 |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011222724/http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443706.html |archive-date=11 October 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443698.html |title=UK Indymedia – Thur Dec 17 protest outside Danish Embassy, London |publisher=Indymedia.org.uk |date=17 December 2009 |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011194235/http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443698.html |archive-date=11 October 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

In March 2011, the square was occupied by a crowd protesting against the UK Budget and proposed budget cuts. During the night the situation turned violent as the escalation by riot police and protesters damaged portions of the square.<ref>[[Wikinews:Battle for Trafalgar Square, London as violence breaks out between demonstrators and riot police]]</ref> In November 2015 a vigil against the [[November 2015 Paris attacks|terrorist attacks in Paris]] was held. Crowds sang the French [[national anthem]], ''[[La Marseillaise]]'', and held banners in support of the city and country.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/paris-attacks-thousands-attend-vigil-in-trafalgar-square-a6734926.html|title=Paris terror attacks|newspaper=The Independent|date=14 November 2015|access-date=17 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122024302/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/paris-attacks-thousands-attend-vigil-in-trafalgar-square-a6734926.html|archive-date=22 November 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:UK-2014-London-Statue of Charles James Napier.jpg|thumb|upright|The statue of Charles James Napier in Trafalgar Square, London]]

Every year on the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar ({{Nowrap|21 October}}), the [[Sea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)|Sea Cadet Corps]] holds a parade in honour of Admiral Lord Nelson and the British victory over the combined fleets of Spain and France at Trafalgar.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9624106/Sea-Cadets-in-Battle-of-Trafalgar-parade.html|title=Sea Cadets in Battle of Trafalgar parade|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=21 October 2012|access-date=18 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222083810/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9624106/Sea-Cadets-in-Battle-of-Trafalgar-parade.html|archive-date=22 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Royal British Legion]] holds a Silence in the Square event on [[Armistice Day]], 11 November, in remembrance of those who died in war. The event includes music and poetry readings, culminating in a [[bugler]] playing the [[Last Post]] and a [[two-minute silence]] at 11 am.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34783337|title=Armistice Day: Nation remembers war dead|work=BBC News|date=11 November 2015|access-date=21 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114200155/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34783337|archive-date=14 November 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2019, hundreds of students participated in a protest against climate change as a part of the [[School strike for climate|School strike for Climate]] campaign. The protest started in the nearby [[Parliament Square]], and as the day went on, the demonstrators moved towards Trafalgar Square.<ref>{{Cite web|title=School children across UK strike over climate change|url=https://news.sky.com/story/live-school-children-across-uk-strike-over-climate-change-11637954|access-date=4 March 2021|website=Sky News|language=en}}</ref>

In July 2020, two members of the protest group [[Animal Rebellion]] were arrested on suspicion for criminal damage after releasing red [[dye]] into the fountains.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53377221|title=Trafalgar Square fountains: Two arrested over red dye protest|work=BBC News|date=11 July 2020|access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/07/11/vegan-activists-turn-trafalgar-square-fountains-blood-red-12976501/|title=Vegan activists turn Trafalgar Square fountains blood red|newspaper=Metro|date=11 July 2020|access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref>

In September 2020, anti-lockdown protests opposed to the imposition of regulations relating to the coronavirus outbreak took place in the square.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-protesters-and-police-officer-hurt-in-clashes-at-anti-lockdown-rally-in-central-london-12082468|title=Coronavirus: London anti-lockdown protests see 16 arrests as police left in hospital after clashes|website=Sky News}}</ref>

A police observation box has been in the Square since 1919, originally a wooden freestanding unit, it was replaced by hollowing out a lampstand at the southeastern corner of the Square into a permanent structure in 1928, but decommissioned in the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/london-smallest-police-station-in-trafalgar-square-isnt-what-its-claimed-to-be-24909/|title=Trafalgar Square's "police station" isn't what it's claimed to be|website=ianVisits|date=8 April 2018 }}</ref>