Peterloo massacre
/ˌpiːtəˈluː
/An attack by Manchester yeomanry on 16 August 1819 against a large but peaceable crowd. Sent to arrest the speaker at a rally of supporters of political reform in St Peter’s Field, Manchester, the local yeomanry charged the crowd, killing 11 civilians and injuring more than 500.
Origin
So named in ironical reference to the Battle of Waterloo.