Peterloo

Watch Peterloo star Neil Bell’s video guide to exploring 200 years of democracy in Manchester

On 16 August 1819 60,000 people gathered on what was then known as St Peter’s Field in Manchester to peacefully demand the reform of parliamentary representation. When troops, including local yeomanry, charged the crowds, the tragic result saw 18 people lose their lives and around 700 injured and was to become known as the Peterloo Massacre.

Peterloo symbolises public protest, the struggle for democracy and the fight against political repression, at a time when such was the need for economic, social and political reform that ordinary people in numbers never seen before took to the streets.

A watershed moment in British history and an event that in its time was reported upon worldwide, and yet, awareness levels of the Peterloo Massacre remain relatively low.

The people of Manchester are marking the 200^th anniversary of Peterloo with a series of events.

www.peterloo1819.co.uk