Today in History: The Sharpeville Massacre

On this day (March 21) in 1960, the Sharpeville Massacre took place in South Africa. The massacre occurred during a civil rights protest against the pass laws—ordinances which required men over 16 (and starting in 1959, women) to carry passports internally in South Africa as a means of controlling the movements of blacks. Between 5000 and 10000 people (men, women and children) converged on a police station in Sharpeville to demand that they be arrested for not carrying their passports. The protest started out peacefully, but become more agitated as the day progressed and the crowd swelled to 20,000. Police reinforcements were rushed in including four armored personnel carriers. Sten submachine guns and Lee Enfield rifles were distributed to the officers. Fighter jets flew as low as 100 feet over the crowd. Stones were thrown in response. The police attempted to arrest a protestor and the crowd surged forward. The police then opened fire killing 69 people (including 8 women and 10 children) and injuring 180 others. Many were shot in the back as they fled. Today, South Africa commemorates this massacre as Human Rights Day.