3. Sharpeville Massacre (1960)
Sharpeville Massacre. Photo credit: David Mixner
The Sharpeville Massacre is one of the most painful moments of South Africa’s anti-Apartheid struggle. On March 21, 1960, when a crowd of at least 7,000 Black protesters went to Sharpeville police station (now part of Guateng) to protest Pass Laws, the South African Police opened fire on the crowd, killing at least 69 people on the spot. Today, March 21st is celebrated as a public holiday to commemorate the victims of the massacre and honor human rights.
