On 12 November 1991 Indonesian soldiers fired on a peaceful memorial procession for Sebastião Gomes heading from Motael Church to Santa Cruz Cemetery; Gomes was an independence supporter who was shot by Indonesian police. More than 250 civilians (mostly students) died. British journalist Max Stahl filmed the bloody attack; the smuggled footage was beamed around the world, empowering the nation's independence struggle.

　　Nearly every inch of the cemetery is occupied by elaborate, pasted-hued gravestones. Head to the Max Stahl archive to see footage of the attack.