[1][2] The riots came about in response to efforts by the colonial police to restrict aspects of the island's annual Carnival festival.
In Port of Spain, San Fernando, and Princes Town, angered Trinidadians rioted in response to the actions of police.
[8][9][10] These immigrants included French planters and 'free coloureds' (free people of mixed race),[11][9][12] as well as enslaved Africans.
[17][16] Enslaved Africans also celebrated night-time harvest festival characterized by drums, singing, calinda dancing, chanting, and stick-fighting.
As part of this transformation, they started carrying burning sugarcane or cannes brulees (French for "burnt cane")[28]—in celebration of Canboulay.
Kaiso music has its origins in West Africa and was brought over by the enslaved Africans who (in the early history of the art form) used it to sing about their masters.
[citation needed] The British colonial authorities disapproved of Canboulay because of its bacchanalian overtones, but the festival was popular with the majority of the population on the island.
[9] In 1881, colonial police attempted prevent Canboulay festivities from taking place in Port of Spain.
Freeling was recalled as governor in 1883, and Baker again sought to suppress Canboulay in 1884—this time in the southern cities of San Fernando and Princes Town.
[citation needed] After Hobson was felled with a stone, the police opened fire on the rioters killing a youth and seriously wounding two others causing the crowd to flee.
[33] In 1884, the colonial government passed the Peace Preservation Act,[34] in an attempt to prevent violence breaking out during the Carnival.
The Act prohibited public carrying of torches, drumming, blowing horns, and stick-fighting (or the assembly of ten or more people with sticks).