The 16th Anniversary of the Ürümqi Massacre
July 5, 2025
Today marks sixteen years since the massacre in Ürümqi on July 5, 2009. We remember this date as a peaceful protest by Uyghur youth calling for justice after the killing of Uyghur factory workers in Guangdong. What followed was a brutal, state-directed crackdown. This massacre altered the trajectory of Uyghur life. It marked the beginning of a decade of repression, laying the groundwork for the current genocide, including internment camps and forced labour programs. Today, Uyghurs live under a high-tech surveillance that systematically controls every aspect of society.
The protest in Ürümqi began with students and families asking for answers. They carried the Chinese flag and called for accountability, until security forces opened fire. Witnesses reported shootings, beatings, and mass arrests. Authorities cut internet and phone access across the entire region, further blocking information. Uyghur neighbourhoods were raided and thousands disappeared.
According to Chinese state figures, at least 197 people were reported killed. However, independent accounts suggest the real number of Uyghur deaths may be far higher, with some estimates exceeding 600. Human Rights Watch documented 43 cases of enforced disappearance, but noted that this was only a small fraction of the actual total. Uyghur residents described security forces detaining men by the bus-load, often targeting anyone between the ages of 12 and 45. Over 1,000 Uyghurs were arrested within days. Some families never received information about where their relatives were taken, whether they were alive, or if they had been tried or killed.
Some were tortured, and others were sentenced to death after secret trials. Families never saw their loved ones again. At the same time, armed mobs of Han men attacked Uyghur civilians in the streets, without the government stopping them.
Instead of allowing independent investigations, the Chinese state punished anyone who spoke up. A collective punishment campaign ensued against an entire people. Poets, journalists, web administrators, and students were sentenced to decades in prison, with some remaining behind bars to this day.
In the months that followed, Uyghur religious life came under new attack; fasting during Ramadan was restricted, prayers were watched, Mosques were surveilled, beards and veils were banned. Families were also forced to report to each other. This reaction marked the official start of a policy aimed at erasing Uyghur identity.
At the time, the world failed to respond and Muslim-majority states stayed silent. Although the Canadian government expressed concern, it did not press for an investigation. Refugees were deported: at least twenty Uyghurs who fled to Cambodia after the crackdown were sent back to China and disappeared into prisons.
We stand in solidarity with Uyghurs who continue to wait for justice, including the youth who stood in People’s Square in Ürümqi that day, and never came home. Uyghur Canadians, advocates, and allies call on Members of Parliament and Canadian institutions to name what happened on July 5 for what it was: a massacre. We urge Canada to publicly support the right of the Uyghur people to honour victims, raise awareness, and live without fear.
Today marks sixteen years since the massacre in Ürümqi on July 5, 2009. We remember this date as a peaceful protest by Uyghur youth calling for justice after the killing of Uyghur factory workers in Guangdong. What followed was a brutal, state-directed crackdown. This massacre altered the trajectory of Uyghur life. It marked the beginning of a decade of repression, laying the groundwork for the current genocide, including internment camps and forced labour programs. Today, Uyghurs live under a high-tech surveillance that systematically controls every aspect of society.
The protest in Ürümqi began with students and families asking for answers. They carried the Chinese flag and called for accountability, until security forces opened fire. Witnesses reported shootings, beatings, and mass arrests. Authorities cut internet and phone access across the entire region, further blocking information. Uyghur neighbourhoods were raided and thousands disappeared.
According to Chinese state figures, at least 197 people were reported killed. However, independent accounts suggest the real number of Uyghur deaths may be far higher, with some estimates exceeding 600. Human Rights Watch documented 43 cases of enforced disappearance, but noted that this was only a small fraction of the actual total. Uyghur residents described security forces detaining men by the bus-load, often targeting anyone between the ages of 12 and 45. Over 1,000 Uyghurs were arrested within days. Some families never received information about where their relatives were taken, whether they were alive, or if they had been tried or killed.
Some were tortured, and others were sentenced to death after secret trials. Families never saw their loved ones again. At the same time, armed mobs of Han men attacked Uyghur civilians in the streets, without the government stopping them.
Instead of allowing independent investigations, the Chinese state punished anyone who spoke up. A collective punishment campaign ensued against an entire people. Poets, journalists, web administrators, and students were sentenced to decades in prison, with some remaining behind bars to this day.
In the months that followed, Uyghur religious life came under new attack; fasting during Ramadan was restricted, prayers were watched, Mosques were surveilled, beards and veils were banned. Families were also forced to report to each other. This reaction marked the official start of a policy aimed at erasing Uyghur identity.
At the time, the world failed to respond and Muslim-majority states stayed silent. Although the Canadian government expressed concern, it did not press for an investigation. Refugees were deported: at least twenty Uyghurs who fled to Cambodia after the crackdown were sent back to China and disappeared into prisons.
We stand in solidarity with Uyghurs who continue to wait for justice, including the youth who stood in People’s Square in Ürümqi that day, and never came home. Uyghur Canadians, advocates, and allies call on Members of Parliament and Canadian institutions to name what happened on July 5 for what it was: a massacre. We urge Canada to publicly support the right of the Uyghur people to honour victims, raise awareness, and live without fear.