On 16 January 2018, a group of ethnic Rakhine locals in the town of Mrauk U in Rakhine State, Myanmar, protested against a ban on an event which commemorated the 233rd anniversary of the Kingdom of Mrauk U's end. When the demonstration reached the local government office, some protesters began to riot, prompting police to fire into the crowd. Seven protesters were killed and twelve others were wounded. Authorities later stated that the decision to switch from rubber bullets to live ammunition was in response to protesters entering a government building and attempting to seize it.