Today in Labor History March 21, 1960: South African police opened fire on peaceful black protesters, killing 69 and wounding 180 in the Sharpeville massacre. Many were shot in the back as they fled. Thousands had been out protesting the hated pass laws, when they decided to march on the police station. The town of Sharpeville had high unemployment and poverty. Its residents had been forcibly moved there from the neighboring town of Topville in 1958. Passbooks were used by the Apartheid regime to control the movement of black residents and to enforce segregation.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #apartheid #racism #SouthAfrica #Sharpeville #massacre #unemployment #poverty #BlackMastodon

Today in Labor History August 16, 2012: South African police fatally shot 34 miners and wounded 78 in the Marikana massacre, during a 6-week wildcat strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in North West province. It was the most lethal attack by South African security forces against civilians since the 1976 Soweto uprising, and it has been compared to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #southafrica #massacre #mining #union #strike #wildcat #Sharpeville #soweto #uprising #policebrutality #police #apartheid #racism #BlackMastadon

Never forget who were labelled as terrorists during Apartheid.

#lent #christianity #christian #god #jesus #church #sharpeville #sharpevillemassacre #21march #march21 #humanrightsday #southafrica

Today in Labor History March 21, 1960: South African police opened fire on peaceful black protesters, killing 69 and wounding 180 in the Sharpeville massacre. Many were shot in the back as they fled. Thousands had been out protesting the hated pass laws, when they decided to march on the police station. The town of Sharpeville had high unemployment and poverty. Its residents had been forcibly moved there from the neighboring town of Topville in 1958. Passbooks were used by the Apartheid regime to control the movement of black residents and to enforce segregation.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #apartheid #racism #SouthAfrica #Sharpeville #massacre #unemployment #poverty #BlackMastadon

Today in Labor History March 21, 1960: South African police opened fire on peaceful black protesters, killing 69 and wounding 180 in the Sharpeville massacre. Many were shot in the back as they fled. Thousands had been out protesting the hated pass laws, when they decided to march on the police station. The town of Sharpeville had high unemployment and poverty. Its residents had been forcibly moved there from the neighboring town of Topville in 1958. Passbooks were used by the Apartheid regime to control the movement of black residents and to enforce segregation.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #apartheid #racism #SouthAfrica #Sharpeville #massacre #unemployment #poverty #BlackMastadon