Gordon Riots in London

On June 2, 1780, Lord George Gordon led a crowd to Parliament to petition for repeal of the Catholic Relief Act of 1778, which had restored limited civil rights to British Roman Catholics. The protest escalated into a week of violence across London. Rioters attacked Catholic churches, homes, and businesses, and burned Newgate, Fleet, and King's Bench prisons, releasing inmates. The military restored order after approximately 300 people were killed and 450 arrested. Gordon was charged with high treason but acquitted.