in the end, the police massacre at sharpville killed 69 people. at the time, nelson mandela was in his early 40s. he had joined the african national congress, the anc, way back in 1944. the anc and the other major organizations opposing apartheid in south africa had been organized as nonviolent movements, nonviolent resistance, and nonviolent organizing. but after sharpville, they decided that maybe that wasn't enough. after sharpville, they decided they would form a paramilitary wing, and nelson mandela was one of the anc leader who is went underground to help start it. they said they would target government buildings and strategic infrastructure and they would try to sabotage the state. after sharpville, the government of south africa started mass arrests of anc leaders and other activists. they banned the anc. they made it illegal to be a member of that group. nelson mandela was arrested for treason in 1961, he was acquitted and he was convicted of traveling illegally. they sentenced him to five years hard labor on south africa's version of alc

but after sharpville, they decided maybe that wasn't enough. after sharpville they decided they would form a paramilitary wing and nelson man delg la was one of the anc leaders who went undergroutd to help it. they would target infrastructure and try to sabotage the state. after sharpville the government of south africa started mass arrests of anc leaders and other activists. they banned the a nchnc. they made it illegal to be a part of that group. nelson mandela was arrested in 1961, again in 1962 and convicted of traveling illegally. they sentenced him to five years hard labor on robben island. while he was already serving that sentence they put him on trial again, this time for sabotage. and they convicted him, and they sentenced him to life in prison, to life on robben island. so in 1964 he began a new sentence that was a life sentence, and for the first 18 years of it his cell on robben island had no bid, no plumbing of any kind. he was permitted one letter every six months. he was permitted one visitor per year for 30 minutes. he became a

♪ ♪ but after sharpville, they decided that maybe that wasn't enough. anc decided that it would form a paramilitary wing and nelson mandela was one of the anc leaders who went underground to help start it. they said they would target government buildings and strategic infrastructure and they would try to sabotage the state. after sharpville, the government of south africa started mass arrests of anc leaders and other activists. they banned the anc. they made it illegal to be a member of that group. nelson mandela was arrested in for treason in 1961, but he was acquitted. he was arrested again in 1962 the this time he was convicted, convicted of traveling illegally. they sentenced him to five years of hard labor on south africa's version of alcatraz. while he was already in prison, they put him on trial again, this time for sabotage and they convicted him and they sentenced him to life in prison, to life on robin island. so in 1964, he began a new sentence that was a life sentence. and for the first 18 years of it, his cell on robin island had no bed, no

sharpville and had this profound effect.e the movement about how long are we going to essentially walk into this? >> right. >> and when you talk about armed struggle, you talk about the way it's framed. michael, it was the move toward resistance, violent resistance, armed resistance, that was the thing that triggered the right to jump on the anc as terrorists. >> yes, it was. and i mean, look. the problem is -- and it's a good point that we talk about language here -- terrorism as a word is something that politicians and pundits have degraded so much over the past sort of 20 years and maybe even more is that we have to differentiate here. what the anc was doing, spear of the nation, this is not hamas. the important distinction here is that this -- these were people who were, you know, sort of living in a giant plantation, you know, bantu stands and the rest of it and the illegitimate government and totalitarian regime. how does one respond to that if one does not pick up a gun? it should be said that i don't think this is a

the treason trial draws to a close, a pivotal moment to the history of south africa unfolds in sharpville> thousands gather to protest against new laws requiring every african to carry a pass. >> police open fire on the protesters. 69 are killed. almost 200 wounded. >> the sharpville massacre was important to mandela, because it showed him the government was ruthless in suppressing the majority. and that made him realize that he was truly in the fight of his life. >> when the treason trial ends in 1961, the african national congress remains banned. nelson mandela is operating underground within south africa. >> when the government closed all negotiations, the only way to change the system is through armed conflict. >> although he will be recognized decades later as a man of peace, in 1961, mandela is an advocate of armed struggle as a means of achieving the anc's goals. >> there are many people who feel it is useless for us to keep talking peace and nonviolence against a government whose replay is only savage attacks. on an unarmed people. the time for us has come to consider in the light

almost 200 wounded. >> the sharpville massacre was important to mandela because it showed him that thet was ruthless in suppressing the majority. and that made him realize that he was truly in the fight of his life. >> reporter: when the treason trial ends in 1961, the african national congress remains banned. nelson mandela is operating underground within south africa. >> when the government closed all the negotiations, the anc decided the only way they're going to change the system is through armed conflict. >> reporter: although he will be recognized decades later as a man of peace, in 1961 mandela is an advocate of armed struggle as means of achieving the anc's goals. >> there are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue nonviolence against the government is savage attacks on the people and i think it's time for us to consider in the light of our experiences, those we have applied so far are inadequate. >> reporter: mandela creates the armed wing of the anc. they take the name spear of the nation. >> he said we need to carry out a campaign of sabotage,

as a young lawyer and activist, he initially advocated peaceful resistance until the 1960 sharpville massacre. >> police fired point blank into the crowd. >> reporter: south african police kelled scores of anti-apartheid demonstrators. for nelson mandela, it was a turning point. >> americans will feel that it was useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government with savage attempts on unarmed defenseless people. >> reporter: mandela's national congress, the amc, was banned, he became an outlaw. but he refused to back down. arrested in 1962, mandela was charged with sabotage and with attempting to violently overthrow the government. he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. for years, for decades, the struggle for justice in south africa with the imprisoned nelson mandela at its symbol. the at times he was forced to break rocks in the hot sun for hours at a time. the government offered mandela freedom if he would renounce violence. he refused. >> today marks the 25th year behind bars for nelson mandela. >> reporter: south africa became a

almost 200 wounded. >> the sharpville massacre was important to mandela because it showed him that theovernment was ruthless in suppressing the majority. and that made him realize that he was truly in the fight of his life. >> reporter: when the treason trial ends in 1961, the african national congress remains banned. nelson mandela is operating underground within south africa. >> when the government closed all the negotiations, the anc decided the only way they're going to change the system is through armed conflict. >> reporter: although he will be recognized decades later as a man of peace, in 1961 mandela is an advocate of armed struggle as means of achieving the anc's goals. >> there are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue nonviolence against the government is savage attacks on the people and i think it's time for us to consider in the light of our experiences, those we have applied so far are inadequate. >> reporter: mandela creates the armed wing of the anc. they take the name spear of the nation. >> he said we need to carry out a campaign of sa

especially after the terrible sharpville massacre in 1960 when he and the african national congress tookat it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government who is on this savage path against unarmed and defenseless people. >> reporter: mandela was a born leader. so in 1964 the apartheid government tried him for treason and sought the dead penalty. his opening statement to the court electrified the country. >> i have cherished the ideals of a democratic and free society. it is an idea for which i hope to live for and to see realized. but my lord, if it needs be, it is an idea for which i am prepared to die. >> reporter: mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the notorious robben island prison. he was not heard from for nearly 30 years. he was just prisoner number 46664. the years passed in prison. mandela became a myth, a global symbol for the fight against apartheid. ♪ and then in 1990, the south african government, under increasing pressure and isolated in the world, suddenly yielded. >> mr. nelson mandela will be released. >

in 1960, police opened fire on thousands of black protestors in sharpville township. 69 people were died, including ten children. >> there are many people who see it, that it is useless for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against the government, is on these attacks. >> the anc was out lawed and in 1964, mandela was sentenced to life in prison, attempting to over throw the government. imprisoned on robbins island, he became a powerful symbol of resistance. he was released from prison in 1990 and emerged as the face of the antiapart i'd movement. he appeared before a standing room crowd at the oakland colosseum. >> it is you, the people of oakland, the people of the bay area, who have given me and my delegation strength and hope to grow. >> mandela stepped into negotiations with fk declerk to bring multieration-ratial democracy. he was the first black president. >> so help me god. never, and never again, shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one or another. >>> thousands of people have responded on our facebook page on the passing of mand

in sharpville, it was horrible. but inside south africa, that media was heavily sanctioned. the world staterred to see it, and only the united states and great britain at the time, held out against sanctions in south africa. today we are their great friend, and south africa refers to americans. >> but not in 1980. >> in those days we were the greatest enemy pass. ronald ragan and mar rat thatcher did everything they could to make sure that he was not a freeman. >> it is valuable to take a trip back in time to get fit someone who saw it through younger person's eyes. poll sixes refused to welcome him to the city. stage add boycott known as the quiet riot, and natasha joins us live from miami beach with more on that. john, some people consider is this a very dark chapter, not only in the history of miami beach, and miami, but the entire south florida region. that's because half a dozen leaders on top of the governor snubbed him. now, you have to remember on a night like tonight, what their thoughts were more than 20 years later. we would have loved to interview them, but they

as a young lawyer and activist, he initially advocated peaceful resistance until the 1960s sharpville massacre. >> police firing point blank into the crowd. >> reporter: south african police killed scores of anti-apartheid demonstrators. for nelson mandela, it was a turning point. >> there are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people. >> reporter: mandela's african national congress, the anc, was banned. he became an outlaw, but he refused to back down. arrested in 1962, mandela was charged with sabotage and with attempting to violently overthrow the government. he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. for years, for decades the struggle for justice in south africa continued with the imprisoned nelson mandela as its symbol. at times he was forced to break rocks in the hot sun for hours at a time. the government offered mandela freedom if he would renounce violence. he refused. >> today marks the 25th year behind bars for nels

1961 after 69 peaceful black protesters were slaughtered by the police in what became known as the sharpville massacre. >> there are many people who fear that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence. >> reporter: mandela the lawyer had transformed to mandela the freedom fighter repeatedly challenging south africa's white minority rule until his arrest and conviction in 1964 on charges of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. and at age 44, the sentence was life. mandela would be 71 before the word would see him again. nelson mandela served one term as president and then retired from public life but continued to advocate for the causes important to him like the fight against aids and to meet with dignitaries from all over the world at his home. in june he was rushed to the hospital suffering from a recurring lung infection he first contracted in prison. he eventually went home but he remained in critical condition. >> mandela's life touched people all over the world, including right here in the d.c. area. >> back in october mandela's family, his

and while we were in birmingham, i think somewhere around there the sharpville killings occurred. and so our movements moved in parallel. i first went with arthur ash in 1974. and when we came back, we came back determined that i was in the congress then. that we were going to start the process of sanctions. it was interesting to me that we couldn't get a lot of middle ground democrats to lead. we got the black caucus but i had to get actually newt gingrich and former secretary -- oh, i'm having a senior moment. >> that's okay. >> two republicans that first came on the list. and then we got this. then it was voted and then it was vetoed and then a movement started but all of the time there was some also movement going in africa, led largely by nigeria and tanzania, putting pressure on the commonwealth. this didn't happen just because nelson mandela became a saint in prison. it happened because of the outside pressures that were put on south africa on the united states and on great britain from all over the world. >> it was a collective outside pressure from my perspective. located

in 1960 when drarts went to the police station in the black town of sharpville and redanded to be arrestedthey were protesting the node to have them in the first place. in response to that small act of rebellion, south african police officers opened fire on the crowd and scene people were killed that day. the young liberation leader named nelson mandela said it was that moment that radicalized him in the fight against apartheid, to beat the anc, it wouldn't be long before he was arrested and convicted of treason and sent away to prison for life. he recalls america and bren and across the west for governments to speak up, to use their power, their influence in a country where the west had huge investments in mining interests. to use that influence to free him and fight apartheid. >> that didn't happen. years passed. decades passed. an international movement sprung to boycott business, to di vest from them. to impose, to try to get governments to impose formal sanctions on that regime. it took hold here in the united states in the 1980s a. young student in los angeles asked his school's admi

as a young lawyer and activist, he initially advocated peaceful resistance until the 1960s sharpville massacre. >> police fired point-blank into the crowd. >> south african police killed scores of anti-apartheid demonstrators. for nelson mandela, it was a turning point. >> many people feel that it is useless for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people. >> mandela's african national congress, the anc, was banned. he became an outlaw, but he refused to back down. arrested in 1962, mandela was charged with sabotage and with attempting to violently overthrow the government. he was convicted and sent to life in prison. for years, for decades, the struggle for justice in south africa continued with the imprisoned nelson mandela as its symbol. at times, he was forced to break rocks in the hot sun for hours at a time. the government offered mandela freedom if he would renounce violence. he refused. >> today marks the 25th year behind bars for nelson mandela. >> south africa became an internationa