The commemoration of the 1959 Theatre Boycotts, which scored the first blow against racial segregation, was marked with two special events on Saturday.

Glenn Fubler of the community group Imagine Bermuda said that the eight stores who chose to surprise customers by making their purchases free “each tailored it in their own way”.

The giveback was a symbolic acknowledgement of the gift won by the Progressive Group activists who challenged segregation at no small personal risk — and won on July 2, 1959 when Bermuda’s theatres capitulated.

A special event hosted by the Chewstick Foundation faced some tough competition on Saturday afternoon, with many locals already glued to the Euro 2016 match between Italy and Germany.

Chewstick showed When Voices Rise, a documentary on the historic boycotts and their legacy.

While turnout was modest, “for those that came it was productive”, Mr Fubler said — followed by a discussion of the boycotts’ implications.