Inner-City Wars

The Inner-City Wars were a series of armed conflicts that took place in Kunari City in 2089. These conflicts were largely fought between KCMA forces, primarily the KCPD, and various insurrectionist groups or Viper-led gangs in the city. A multitude of factions formed what the KCMA often refered to as "dissidents" or "rebel forces", most of them being led by Vipers or other de facto community leaders. With these wars breaking out during the New Depression, fighting was most intense in regions with higher rates of unemployment and more severe economic hardship. Likely due to general disdain for the KCMA's handling of the economic circumstances of the time, many of the poorer, working class citizens of Kunari City aligned themselves with Vipers and local grassroots leaders. While some rebel factions claimed to have been fighting in order to liberate their communities and provide for their people - many also engaged in the conflict for personal gain. In fact, many KCMA legislators agree that working class districts were worse off after the wars than before.
Fighting began in the industrial centers of West Rosegrove on July 15th, 2089. Protests and riots had been raging on in Rosegrove for months prior, with unrest growing as unemployment, famine, and poverty combined with mass layoffs to wreak havoc on the district's working class. Fed up with the economic conditions of the New Depression, violent dissedents took to the streets and marched into West Rosegrove, aiming to assault and occupy multiple Vulcan warehouses. Fighting broke out as protestors stormed these warehouses, killing corporate security forces and barricading themselves inside. Within hours, armed KCPD forces were sent to West Rosegrove, and they began a week-long siege of the occupied warehouses. The dissidents held out for days on end until orders were given to level the most persistent strongholds. By the 22nd of July, KCPD forces recovered Vulcan assets and forced the armed mobs out of West Rosegrove. This was only the beginning of the fighting as protestors began to band together under the leadership of local Vipers and mercenary gangs, taking over the largely abandoned borough of Lynwood. The following week saw various corporate offices in the district bombed as rebel forces once again attacked industrial sectors in West Rosegrove. By the end of July, over 2,000 casualties had been recorded.
While Rosegrove saw the worst of the conflict, fighting spread to various other districts in Kunari City. Sei Horokonai, which bordered the dissident stronghold of Lynwood, soon saw rebel activity in its industrial neighborhoods. Severe fighting also occurred in Enwick and Minatori - with this string of conflict often labeled as the Battle of Rosegrove. Separately, fighting broke out in Devendam as KCPD forces raided the homes of various political activists, believing them to be organizing and planning an armed assault on the district's civic center. Multiple community figureheads were killed in these raids, and citizens in Devendam took to the streets to protest the killings. During the height of these protetsts, shots were fired at KCPD peacekeepers: the officers returned fire, killing 19 dissidents. Fighting continued in Devendam and spread to New Crazznaqeg and Rivendale. Nanying and the Minatama metro area saw limited combat, though various gangs in Nanying used the period of destabilization to further their territorial disputes against each other, sparking a militarized conflict that shut down the region's coastal highway.
The weeks following the High Square Bombing saw the most vicious conflict of the Inner-City Wars, with thousands dying as KCPD forces raided multiple Viper hideouts and insurrectionist cells. In retaliation, gangs and dissident groups mounted raids on police stations throughout Kunari City, killing hundreds of KCPD officers. Additionally, prisons throughout Kunari City were attacked: while most of these attacks were unsuccessful, the Enwick Correctional Facility was fully breached. This string of combat lasted well into September. The month of September also saw amendments passed to the Stabilization Acts (the original drafts are often considered to have fueled dissident fervor) which included a contract between FrontLine and the KCPD. Protesting this assumed militarization of the KCPD, various FrontLine training facilities in Crowfall City were raided by dissident forces. Retaliatory strikes were launched on boroughs in Enwick and Rosegrove, with the intention of clearing out any armed rebels. By the end of September, the total number of casualties surpassed 72,000.
While costly, FrontLine's retaliatory strikes on pro-rebel boroughs in Kunari City largely snuffed out any organized insurrection. The Inner-City Wars largely died down by October of 2089, with dissident leadership in hiding or imprisoned for the most part. As well, increased militarization and the KCPD's contract with FrontLine meant many rebel factions no longer had the resources to keep resisting corporate and government forces. Though many historians agree that outright conflict ended by October 7th, they also claim that the Inner-City Wars never truly ended - with much of today's street conflict being the spiritual successor. Anti-KCMA Viper groups and gangs still operate in the city, often launching attacks, gigs, and raids on corporate and government assets throughout Kunari City. Generally, the end of the Inner-City Wars more so details the end of open conflict between the KCPD and a generalized insurrection.

Conflict Type

Rebellion

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

15th of July, 2089

Ending Date

7th of October, 2089