The "Hand of Timba", erected to commemorate those killed during the Pidjiguiti Massacre

On this day in 1959, the Pidjiguiti Massacre occurred when Portuguese police (PIDE) fired on striking dock workers in Bissau, Portuguese Guinea, killing 50 people. The incident led anti-colonial activists (PAIGC) to abandon non-violence.

When dock workers went on strike to seek higher pay, their manager called the Portuguese state police (PIDE) to the scene, who fired into the crowd, killing at least 50 people.

The government blamed the anti-colonial group "Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde" (PAIGC) for the labor unrest, arresting several of its members. The incident caused PAIGC to abandon their campaign of non-violent resistance, leading to the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence in 1963, which culminated in independence for Cape Verde and all of Portuguese Africa.

Today, near the Pidjiguiti docks, there is a large black fist known as the "Hand of Timba", which commemorates those killed that day.

Review of A. Cabral, Unity & Struggle and J. Saul, The State and Revolution in East Africa red-fist

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  • Nagarjuna [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Okay I am happily in a very long term relationship, and would not change that, but I need to get this off my chest:

    When I was in high-school, I was friends with this woman who was just incredibly hot. Like, probably a 1 to 1 Christina Applegate lookalike. Of course i had a crush, but I did the decent thing, wrote her off as out of my league and carried on with our friendship.

    She would do this funny joke where she'd kiss me or look me dead in the eyes and say "Nagarjuna, I am in love with you." Other times she'd suggest we take a nap together.

    Of course I wasn't sleepy, so I told her that she could and I'd make her coffee when she woke up (I was a good friend.)

    It's not that I didn't know what was going on it was that I had written myself off as unlovable and was really anxious about any relationship because I hadn't been in one and I had intense social anxiety.

    I ran into her again a few years ago and told her about my relationship, and she was livid! She yelled at me and said "I thought you were asexual!"

    She has not talked to me since...

    So the moral of the story? Sometimes by being a socially anxious wreck you're actually being incredibly rude and burning one of the closest friendships you've ever had.