As the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we remember the fearless comrades who were killed at Sharpeville on this day in 1960. Thousands of Black South Africans came together in a peaceful protest against the “pass laws” that controlled every aspect of their lives under apartheid. The protesters’ plan was to march to the Sharpeville police station without their passes in an act of civil disobedience. What unfolded was a brutal act of state violence, when police opened fire at close range on a crowd of protesters who were singing and dancing while demanding an end to restrictions on where they could work, live or travel. Sharpeville revealed the truth of apartheid to the world, but more importantly, it demonstrated that ordinary people, when united, have the capacity to challenge the systems designed to silence them. In the days that followed the Sharpeville Massacre, demonstrations against the killings spread across South Africa and the world. The leadership of the African National Congress (ANC), including Nelson Mandela also burned their passes in solidarity with the people of Sharpeville. As protests spread across the world, the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly for the first time condemned the killings and called for an end to apartheid. Read more about the significance of the Sharpeville Massacre and how it resonates with the Palestinian struggle at our new blog. Link in bio.