Trafalgar Square death, and the square did not open until 1844. The Nelson's Column at its centre is guarded by four lion statues. A number of commemorative statues and sculptures occupy the square, but the Fourth Plinth, left empty since 1840, has been host to contemporary art since 1999. The square has been used for community gatherings and political demonstrations, including Bloody Sunday in 1887, the culmination of the first Aldermaston March, anti-war protests, and campaigns against climate change. A Christmas tree has been donated to the square by Norway since 1947 and is erected for twelve days before and after Christmas
1996 Trafalgar Square riots flashback to the large-scale football violence in the country during the 1980s. However the rioting was the only notable incident that happened during the Euro 1996 championship, which went by mostly peaceful and orderly. These were the worst of the rioting that happened that day in several places in the country, including in Swindon and Bedford, where looting occurred. In Shirley, West Midlands, hooligans threw bricks at an Aldi (German) supermarket. In Brighton, a Russian student was stabbed five times by a hooligan thinking he was German. 1996 Trafalgar Square riots The 1996 Trafalgar Square riots in London occurred on