Panamanian Flag Protest (1964)

Thu Jan 09, 1964

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On this day in 1964, the anti-American riot known as the “Flag Protest” began in Panama over sovereignty of the Panama Canal Zone, then controlled by the United States. Twenty-two Panamanians and four U.S. soldiers were killed.

The riot started after a attempt by students to fly the Panamanian flag turned violent as police shot and killed protesters, tearing the flag in the process. After news of the violence and flag desecration spread, angry residents from the area turned out to confront police.

That evening, less than a hundred police were overwhelmed by several thousand protesters who set fire to American-owned businesses in the area. U.S. troops were put on the ground to quell the rebellion.

In total, at least twenty-two Panamanians and four U.S. soldiers died in the fighting. The event is now a national day of mourning in Panama, commemorated annually as “Martyr’s Day”. The riots are considered to be a significant factor in the U.S. decision to transfer control of the Canal Zone to Panama through the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties.