A woman prepares cutouts of the number 8 before a ceremony marking the 28th anniversary of the 8888 uprising in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday.

Hundreds of people attended an annual ceremony in downtown Yangon yesterday, commemorating the 1988 student uprising

The Aug 8, 1988 uprising, known as the "8888 Uprising" marked the start of protests by students in Yangon that would soon spread throughout the country. The demonstrations were aimed at the then ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party, headed by General Ne Win. The protests ended in September the same year after a military coup by the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

In previous years, the authorities in Yangon reportedly would not have allowed the commemoration event to take place, but that changed, starting in 2013, and each year more people come out to remember those who marched against the government in 1988.