On this day in 1960, the Sharpeville Massacre occurred at a police station in Sharpeville, South Africa when police fired into a crowd of anti-apartheid protesters, killing 69 people and injuring at least 180 more.
The protests were organized by the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), a black nationalist rival to the African National Congress (ANC). More than 20,000 protesters showed up at the police station in opposition to apartheid.
The unarmed crowd was met with armored police armed with Sten submachine guns and Lee–Enfield rifles. After F-86 Sabre jets and Harvard Trainers flew low over the crowd, within a hundred feet of the ground, in an attempt to scatter it, the crowd began throwing rocks at police.
The police responded by opening fire on the crowd, killing 69 people and injuring 180 others. 29 children were casualties of the violence, and many people were shot in the back as they fled.
A storm of international protest followed the Sharpeville shootings, including sympathetic demonstrations in many countries and condemnation from the United Nations. Sharpeville marked a turning point in South Africa's history; the country found itself increasingly isolated in the international community.
The Sharpeville Massacre contributed to the banning of the PAC and ANC as illegal organizations. The massacre was one of the catalysts for a shift from passive resistance to armed resistance by both of these groups.
Megathreads and spaces to hang out:
- ❤️ Come listen to music and Watch movies with your fellow Hexbears nerd, in Cy.tube
- 💖 Come talk in the New Monthly queer thread
- 🧡 Monthly Neurodiverse Megathread
- 💛 Read about a current topic in the news
- ⭐️ October Movie Nominations ⭐️
reminders:
- 💚 You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
- 💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes struggle sessions over upbears
- 💜 Sorting by new you nerd
- 🌈 If you ever want to make your own megathread, you can go here nerd
- 🐶 Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog
- ☮️ you can join the upcoming anti war rally this march
Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):
Aid:
- 💙Comprehensive list of resources for those in need of an abortion -- reddit link
- 💙Resources for Palestine
Theory:
i don't think it's parasocial if you're actually talking to people who talk back. just because you don't know peoples names or faces doesn't mean you aren't having a genuine social interaction
Yeah these aren't parasocial relationships because we're aware of the other party and they're aware of us. It's just two humans talking through a screen. Plus, there's no profit motive here. Often parasocial relationships are encourage to drive engagement with celebrities to increase their clout so they can profit in some manner. The motive on Hexbear is uh... more interaction means a more enjoyable site experience? There's no profit here, no data to collect and sell, no investors to placate.
Hopefully all of this will change when the mods finally roll out Hexbear Premium. Already pre-ordered my Hexbear-Premium account for the low price of 9.99$.
Yeah. Internet relationships are weird but it's not like people haven't had friends they only know through correspondence for centuries.