Nika riots
| Nika riots | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Site of the Hippodrome of Constantinople in Istanbul | |||
| Date | January 532 AD | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | See causes | ||
| Goals | Free demes' leaders, overthrow Justinian | ||
| Methods | Widespread rioting, property damage, murder, arson | ||
| Resulted in | Military action by imperial government leading to the escalation and militarization of the riots | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
| Casualties | |||
| Death(s) | 30,000 rioters killed | ||
The Nika riots (Greek: Στάσις τοῦ Νίκα, romanized: Stásis toû Níka), Nika revolt or Nika sedition took place against Byzantine emperor Justinian I in Constantinople over the course of a week in 532 AD. They are often regarded as the most violent riots in the city's history, with nearly half of Constantinople being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed.