Pidjiguiti Memorial
Memorial de Pidjiguiti
A memorial to the 1959 Pidjiguiti dock workers’ strike, marked by a giant black clenched fist sculpture. The event marked the start of the independence struggle in Guinea-Bissau.
On August 3, 1959, dockworkers and sailors at Pidjiguiti went on strike to demand higher pay. Colonial police opened fire to suppress the protest, killing about 50 people. The event led the PAIGC, led by Cabral, to turn to armed struggle, and it is regarded as the starting point of the independence war. August 3 is now a national memorial day. A giant black clenched-fist monument stands by the dock, beside a wooden boat landing still in use, where you can watch fishermen unloading their catch and dugout passenger boats heading to the Bijagós Islands. Entry is free. It is located on the southeastern harbor edge of the old town.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Fortaleza de São José da Amura
- Bissau Velho
- Bissau Cathedral
- Praça dos Heróis Nacionais
- Bandim Market
- National Ethnographic Museum
- Quinhamel
- Bolama