Coruscant riots ( 3680 BBY ) In 3680 BBY , the second year of the Great Galactic War , a series of public demonstrations broke out on Coruscant , the capital world of the Galactic Republic , in response to political infighting in the Galactic Senate and the Sith Empire ' s invasion of the Outer Rim Territories . Tensions began to mount in Galactic City after the Empire made itself known through a series of conquests and massacres in the Outer Rim , but the situation became particularly volatile after the Republic ' s biting loss of the Tingel Arm and the Empire ' s siege of the Minos Cluster . While the Senate was mired in political gridlock over how to best respond to the assault , members of the Jedi Order moved forward with a plan to liberate the Minos worlds . Their departure , along with continued inaction from Republic leaders , sent the people of Coruscant into panic , resulting in mass demonstrations consisting of political gatherings , anti - war rallies , and violent riots . The upheaval lasted for days but came to a conclusion as stories of Jedi heroics in the embattled Minos Cluster began to return to Coruscant . Background . In 3681 BBY , a revived Sith Empire invaded the territory of the Galactic Republic , sparking the Great Galactic War . In the early days of the war , the Republic suffered repeated losses across the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy at the hands of the Imperial Military ' s lightning - fast strikes and well - coordinated tactics . The Republic Military , taken aback by the blitz , was slow to react to the assault , allowing the Imperials to seize greater territory and strike fear into the hearts of Republic citizens . Although the efficiency of the Sith war machine prevented accurate reports from the front lines to spread quickly , news of the Empire ' s strength soon began to permeate throughout the Republic . Reports of the destruction of a diplomatic convoy at the farthest reaches of the galaxy , the defection of the Aparo sector , the scattering of a Republic fleet in the Tingel Arm , the Sith reclamation of Korriban , and the Empire ' s massacre of Sluis Van ' s defenders all served to mount tensions and fears — particularly in the heart of the Republic , the capital world of Coruscant . This sense of panic — part of the Sith Emperor ' s plan to destabilize the galaxy — was only amplified when the Galactic Senate of the Republic failed to compose a comprehensive defense strategy at an emergency congressional session . Republic leaders disagreed over how the Sith threat should be treated . Some advocated for patient and calculated responses , arguing that the Empire was no different from the many other minor upstart societies that had previously tried to challenge the Republic . Others , including the High Council of the Jedi Order , insisted that the Empire needed to be dealt with swiftly . However , even among these advocates of decisive action , there was disagreement . Senators who feared for the safety of their own worlds protested decisions that left their constituencies undefended against the Sith , resulting in messy deliberations and unnavigable political gridlock . When the negotiations collapsed , diplomatic allies withdrew military support , leaving most Republic sectors to fend for themselves and the people of the Republic in an even greater state of fear . Riots and rallies . The Sith Empire , largely uninhibited by the Republic , launched a massive invasion of the Minos Cluster the same year . In 3680 BBY , the Jedi , refusing to sit idle as the Sith ravaged the Outer Rim , organized a fleet of battle cruisers to ferry their Knights to the Minos Cluster and defend its people . These developments proved to be a tipping point , and immediately after the Jedi ' s departure , chaos broke out on Coruscant . Hysteria gripped the populace as news continued to deliver stories of Imperial conquests that horrified many Coruscanti . Some organized mass political rallies in favor of the war effort , while others gathered to demand restraint in the fight against the Sith . Meanwhile , riots and looting wracked sections of the Galactic City , all stemming from fears of the Empire ' s march toward the Core Worlds . Jedi who remained on Coruscant were largely powerless to prevent the rioting and lamented seeing fear grip the people of the Republic . The chaos continued for days , until news of the Jedi efforts in the Minos Cluster began to filter back to Coruscant . Reports of their sacrifices and other acts of heroism inspired the people of the Republic , and the riots were extinguished shortly thereafter . Aftermath . Having been reassured by the efforts of the Jedi , the people of Coruscant refocused their energy from violence and upheaval to more patriotic endeavors . Immediately after the conclusion of the riots , Coruscanti people began registering for duty with the Republic Military to join the Jedi in battle . This boom in military registrations was accompanied by a change in political atmosphere ; senators began to approach the issue of defense strategy less selfishly , and instead worked together to compose a comprehensive plan of action . It was after this point that the Republic began to achieve some of its first victories in the war — on the planet Eliad and other battlefields in the Minos Cluster , Jedi were joined by Republic soldier s , and together they fought off the Sith invaders ; likewise , a reenergized Republic naval fleet broke the the crippling blockade of the Rimma Trade Route . Although overt violence in the capital had subsided , the people of Coruscant continued to suffer in the coming years . The onset of the war pushed the Republic into a severe economic depression that continued for decades . The economic woes of the Coruscanti turned into very real concerns over starvation and death in 3661 BBY , when the Mandalorian warrior clans , having allied themselves with the Empire , blockaded the Hydian Way . The blockade severed the movement of food supplies to the Core Worlds , resulting in heavy suffering and the return of mass riots in the lower levels of Coruscant . In the years after the Great Galactic War , Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan recalled her memories on Coruscant during the rioting of 3680 BBY . She added her experiences to a primary source volume on the war , noting her own sorrow over the desperation on Coruscant , as well as her optimistic appraisal of what the event revealed about the Republic ' s democracy . Behind the scenes . The Coruscant riots and demonstrations of 3 , 680 BBY were first introduced to " Star Wars " lore in 2011 , with the release of " The Journal of Master Gnost - Dural " , a short reference work included in Collectors Edition bundles of " " . The book was written by Robert Chestney under the personas of Jedi Masters Gnost - Dural and Satele Shan , the latter of whom recounts the demonstrations from an in - universe , first person perspective .