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#EndSARSMemorial: Preserving the Memories of The Movement 3 Years On
Three years have passed since peaceful protesters rallying against police brutality – flags and hands in the air, chanting #EndSARS, matching on the streets, dancing and cleaning after themselves – were met with gunfire, tear gas and machetes in various regions across the country.
In October 2020, Nigerian youths led the #EndSARS peaceful protest with one aim: to put an end to police brutality and violence across the country. Unfortunately, this call for justice was matched with more brutality and the two-week-long protest came to a halt after the Nigerian army opened fire on protesters waving the national flag in Lekki. What has followed this massacre has been an agonisingly protracted charade of justice, skeletal acknowledgement of lives lost, and a flood of gaslighting, lies and manipulation from the government and authorities charged with the protection of the lives and properties of Nigerians.
It’s been three years and the bullet is still deep, the wound still fresh, and the pain throbs harder. But in our despair, we remember and honour the lives of people who were murdered in their fight for a police brutality-free country.
Since October 2020, various creative works, including tweets, books, movies, songs, documentaries, and more, have been dedicated to preserving the memory of those who lost their lives for the cause and ensuring the accurate representation of their deaths and the #EndSARS protests. We’ve put together a list of movies, books, and songs aimed at preserving the memory of the movement and the broader struggle for justice
Movies
Awaiting Trial is a documentary that follows the lives of 3 people held unjustly by the Nigerian Police. It explores this unique blend of injustice and inequity that led to the global #EndSARs protests.
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EndSARS: The Beginning of a Revolution
This is a documentary that provides an in-depth look at the #EndSARS movement, its origins, key events, and its impact on Nigerian society. It is available to watch on YouTube.
Songs
20: 10: 20 by Burna Boy
This song directly addresses the Lekki Toll Gate shooting on October 20, 2020, during the #EndSARS protests.
20.10.20 (Wahala Dey) by Chike
In the music video of this song, Chike presents clips from the protest scenes.
End Sars by Fikky
Fikky lends his voice to the #EndPoliceBrutality and #EndSARS protest with this song, titled “End Sars”.
Blood on the Flag by OfficialBils
This track reflects on the events of October 20, 2020, and the sacrifices made by the youth during the protests.
Books
#EndSARS: War Against Impunity by Uzor Ngoladi
This book chronicles the events of the #EndSARS protests and the aftermath.
Sọ̀rọ̀sóke: An #EndSARS Anthology
Sọ̀rọ̀sóke: An #Endsars Anthology began as a digital archive of poetry on the EndSARS movement of 2020 on BrittlePaper. This print edition of the anthology rearticulates a similar poetics of resistance, emphasising the activist voice of a new generation of writers resisting the tyranny of silence and state violence.
EndSARS Protest Hidden Truth You Need to Know by Justus A. Osawaru
This book gives a simple analysis of how Nigerian youth have been suffering under untold hardship at the hands of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the anti-modernity of SARS, and also unveils
Soro Soke by Trish Lorenz
In this book, Trish Lorenz speaks to young entrepreneurs, artists, and activists in Lagos and Abuja to understand what it means to be young and share their views on the EndSARS protests.
On this 3rd #EndSARSMemorialDay, we honour everyone who put in the work to ensure this movement and the cherished memories of those we’ve lost are kept alive. Everyone still lending their voices to the cause, calling for justice and honouring the dead with their works and words.
