Jaffna commemorates 42 years since Black July pogrom

Commemorations marking the 42nd anniversary of Black July were held in Jaffna yesterday, as Tamils across the North-East remembered the victims of the state-sponsored anti-Tamil pogrom that took place in July 1983.

Earlier on Wednesday, students at the University of Jaffna gathered at the campus and laid flowers before a portrait the read the words “Black July Genocide”.  

Later that evening, participants gathered at an event organised by the Tamil National Council, to honour those who were brutally killed during the week-long violence, which saw thousands of Tamils murdered, homes and businesses destroyed, and tens of thousands displaced across the island. 

Placards carried by attendees bore messages including:

•    “42 Years Since Black July – Still No Justice”
•    “Black July Wasn’t a Riot – It Was Genocide”
•    “No to fake ‘Brotherhood Day’ – we demand truth, justice, and accountability”

Speakers at the event denounced ongoing efforts by the Sri Lankan state to reframe the anniversary of the atrocities. In particular, they condemned the recent promotion of July 23 as a so-called “Brotherhood Day” — a state-backed initiative they described as a dangerous attempt to whitewash the Tamil people’s suffering and rewrite history.