On this day, 65 years ago, on March 21, 1960 (February 24, 1960 in the lunar calendar), the "Shapeville Massacre" occurred in South Africa. Sharpeville Massacre On March 21, 1960, a genocide occurred in the black South African town of Sharpeville. In the late 1950s, black resistance in South Africa grew increasingly intense. Mass riots broke out in urban areas, and black people killed police officers from time to time. In this situation, the Pan Africanist Congress launched the "Anti-Pass Law" movement on March 21, 1960. Pan African Congress leader Robert Sobukwe took the lead and voluntarily went to the police station without carrying a pass. Thousands of black people left their passes at home and demonstrated in front of the police station. All the black town of Sharpeville in the industrial zone around Vereniging was mobilized, and more than 10,000 people surrounded the police station. The government sent troops to use tear gas and aircraft failed to disperse the crowd, but instead aroused the anger of the masses. In the end, the police opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators, killing 69 people and injuring 180 others, causing a horrific and bloody tragedy. Similar mass demonstrations broke out in other black towns, and there were successive incidents of police shooting peaceful demonstrators. White authorities also announced a state of emergency law and launched a nationwide manhunt. Thousands of black activists have been arrested and imprisoned. Subsequently, the South African government issued the "Unlawful Organizations Act", announcing the ban on the ANC and the Pan-African Congress on April 8. Organized resistance by Africans has since gone underground. In 1976, the 31st session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution stipulating that "March 21", the day of the South African people's struggle against racial discrimination, should be designated as the "International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination." Sharpeville Massacre