Soweto-oprøret i 1976

In the morning of June 16th 1976, the Soweto uprising began, the Soweto uprising is a series of demonstrations and protests, led by black school children in South Africa. Students from numerous Sowetan schools began the protests in the streets of Soweto, because of the introduction of the Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. Approximately 20.000 students took part in the protests in the streets of Soweto. The police answered with fierce brutality. It have been estimated that the police caused 176 deaths of Sowetan students, but some thinks that the police caused up to 700 deaths of Sowetan students. To honor the dead, and remember them, 16th June is now a national holiday, called “Youth day”, there was around 1000 non-fatal injuries, besides the deaths the protests caused. Pictures of the protests and riots have spread all over the world. Also of the aftermath of the riots. Many people are shocked of why this is still going on. A photo of a young boy called Hector Pieterson lying in his brothers arms, dying, have spread all over the world as one of the pictures from the protests. Hector Pieterson later died in a hospital. Many people got very angry with the Apartheid government, and the picture caused outrage and brought down international condemnation on the Apartheid government. After apartheid, many songwriters and movie instructors made movies and songs about Apartheid, and all the lives lost, under the protests.