1948 Accra riots

A protest march by unarmed ex-servicemen who were agitating for their benefits as veterans of World War II, who had fought with the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force, was broken up by police, leaving three leaders of the group dead.

The 28 February incident is considered "the straw that broke the camel's back", marking the key point in the process of the Gold Coast becoming the first African colony to achieve independence, becoming Ghana on 6 March 1957.

[3][4] In January 1948, the Ga chief, Nii Kwabena Bonne III,[5] known in private life as Theodore Taylor (1888–1968),[6] had organised a boycott of all European imports in response to their inflated prices.

[8] The march on 28 February 1948 was a peaceful attempt by former soldiers to bring a petition to the Governor of the Gold Coast requesting the dispensation of promised pensions and other compensation for their efforts during the war.

Possibly in panic,[13] Superintendent Imray grabbed a rifle and shot at the leaders,[14] killing three veterans: Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey.

[14] On the same day, the local political leadership, the United Gold Coast Convention[16] (UGCC), led by the Big Six, sent a cable to the Secretary of State in London:[2] "...unless Colonial Government is changed and a new Government of the people and their Chiefs installed at the centre immediately, the conduct of masses now completely out of control with strikes threatened in Police quarters, and rank and file Police indifferent to orders of Officers, will continue and result in worse violent and irresponsible acts by uncontrolled people.

[23] The immediate aftermath of the riots included the arrest on 12 March 1948 of "the Big Six" – Kwame Nkrumah and other leading activists in the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) party (namely Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, J.