Event    From 21/3/1960  To 21/3/1960

Sharpeville Massacre

Categories: Race Issues, Tragedy

Countries: South Africa

This took place near the police station in the South African township of Sharpeville in Transvaal (today part of Gauteng). After a day of demonstrations against pass laws (these were an internal passport system, designed to segregate the population), a crowd of about 5,000 to 7,000 black protesters went to the station where the police opened fire on them, killing 69 people. Sources disagree as to the behaviour of the crowd; some state that the crowd was peaceful, while others said they had been hurling stones at the police, and that the shooting started when they began advancing towards the fence around the station. Since 1994, 21st March has been commemorated as Human Rights Day in South Africa.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sharpeville Massacre

Commemorated ati

Sharpeville Massacre

{On the large plaque with an image of protesters on a map of Africa:} Sharpev...

Read More

Other Subjects

Narrative Eye

Narrative Eye

A very elusive organisation as all we can find about them is that they are committed to promoting African-British history and literature.

Group, Race Issues

1 memorial
Mangrove Restaurant

Mangrove Restaurant

At 8 All Saints Road, Notting Hill.  Created and owned for 24 years by Crichlow.  It was a centre for political and social activism within the African and Caribbean culture.  Visitors included: Jim...

Place, Commerce, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink, Race Issues

1 memorial
Sir Henry Taylor

Sir Henry Taylor

Born Bishop Middleham, County Durham. Poet, playwright and public servant. He went to sea as a young man, but after finding it did not agree with his health, took up a position in the Treasury. H...

Person, Poetry, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Theatre

1 memorial
Albert Woodfox

Albert Woodfox

Albert Woodfox was an American known as one of the Angola Three (Robert King, Herman Wallace and Woodfox) former prisoners who were held at Louisiana State Penitentiary in solitary confinement for ...

Person, Law, Race Issues, Tragedy, USA

1 memorial
Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and International elder statesman.  Born in a village near Umtata in the Transkei, South Africa.  Gaoled 5th August 1962, sentenced to life imprisonment 12...

Person, Peace, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Seriously Famous, South Africa

5 memorials