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The Sharpeville Massacre occurred on March 21, 1960, when South African police opened fire
on a crowd of black protesters. The confrontation occurred in the township of Sharpeville, in what is now
Gauteng province.
The African National Congress (ANC) had
decided to launch a campaign against the pass laws, which required all blacks to carry "reference books" at all times. The protests were to begin on March
31, 1960. The rival Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)
decided to pre-empt the ANC by launching its own campaign ten days earlier, on March 21, 1960.
In a protest organized by the PAC on March 21, a group of between 5000 and 7000 people converged on the local police station,
offering themselves up for arrest for not carrying their "reference books".
69 people were killed, and over 180 injured. It is debated whether or not the police attack was provoked. The statements of
Lieutenant Colonel Pienaar show that the mere gathering of blacks could have served as a provocation:
- "The Native mentality does not allow them to gather for a peaceful demonstration. For them to gather means violence."
The uproar among blacks was immediate, and the following week saw demonstrations, protest marches, strikes, and riots around
the country. On March 30, 1960, the government declared a state of emergency, detaining more than 18,000 people.
A storm of international protest followed the Sharpeville shootings, including condemnation by the United Nations. On April 1,
1960, the United Nations Security
Council sat to "consider seriously the apartheid colonial oppression of the
African people in South Africa" Sharpeville marked a turning point in South Africa's history; the country found itself
increasingly isolated in the international community.
The aftermath of the Sharpeville massacre led to the banning of the ANC and PAC and was one of the catalysts for the
foundation of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the
ANC.
See also: History of South Africa
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