Massacre of 14 July 1953 in Paris

The Place de la Nation in the twelfth arrondissement features a massive bronze sculpture of a woman holding a torch, standing atop a chariot drawn by lions. On July fourteenth, nineteen fifty-three, this square became the site of a deadly clash between police and Algerian demonstrators. Seven people died and over one hundred were injured when officers opened fire on the crowd during the annual parade. Bullet holes remained visible in the surrounding buildings for years, marking a violent collision between colonial authorities and protestors.