The Sharpeville massacre was when a crowd of between 5,000–7,000 black people protested at the police station in Sharpeville, South Africa on March 21, 1960. The police started shooting into the crowd. A total of 69 people were killed including 8 women and 10 children, and 180 people were injured, including 31 women and 19 children. In South Africa today, this day is a public holiday in honor of human rights.