A police mob attacks big SWAPO rally

This day in history, an armed mob and riot police disrupted a rally organised by the South West African Political Organisation (SWAPO). The meeting was held in Katatura, Windhoek Namibia and it was attended by nearly 3000 people, including delegates from the United States Embassy in South Africa.   SWAPO, which was prevented from holding gatherings until the Namibian Supreme Court ruled otherwise, organised the rally to celebrate the United Nations’ International Year of Peace. The attack left 21 people dead, with many more seriously injured by rubber bullets that were used by the police and arrows that were used by the armed mob. SWAPO believed that the government was now resorting to vigilante activities through shady cultural organisations like the Entango Cultural Movement to disrupt their meetings and rallies.