Sharpeville Massacre

Setting the scene

The Sharpeville Massacre occurred on March 21, 1960, in Sharpeville, South Africa, when police opened fire on Black protesters demonstrating against pass laws. The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) organized a campaign of civil disobedience against laws requiring Black South Africans to carry passbooks restricting their movement. About 5,000-7,000 protesters gathered peacefully outside the Sharpeville police station, offering themselves for arrest.

What happened

Police, numbering about 300, panicked when the crowd surged forward. Without warning, they opened fire with Sten guns and rifles for about 40 seconds, shooting 1,300 rounds. Sixty-nine people were killed, including 8 women and 10 children, and 180 were wounded. Most were shot in the back as they fled. The massacre was photographed and filmed, shocking the world.

Why it still matters

Sharpeville was a turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle. The South African government declared a state of emergency, banned the ANC and PAC, and arrested 18,000 people. The massacre convinced Nelson Mandela and others that nonviolent protest alone would not work, leading the ANC to form its armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, in 1961. Internationally, Sharpeville led to South Africa's isolation—UN condemnation, economic sanctions, and the country's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961. March 21 is now South Africa's Human Rights Day and the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Background

International sanctions targeted apartheid.