Horrific: South African Police Massacre 30+ Striking Miners

[cali]

Here's the actual AP headline and story which I've cross-posted in LB: Heartbreaking.

South Africa police say they killed 30+ miners

By By MICHELLE FAUL and JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press – 14 minutes ago

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police officers killed more than 30 miners who charged them at a Lonmin PLC platinum mine, authorities said Friday, as a national newspaper warned that a time bomb ticking over poor South Africans has exploded.

Thursday's shootings are one of the worst in South Africa since the end of the apartheid era, and came as a rift deepens between the country's governing African National Congress and an impoverished electorate confronting massive unemployment and growing poverty and inequality.

They "awaken us to the reality of the time bomb that has stopped ticking — it has exploded," The Sowetan newspaper said in an editorial. "Africans are pitted against each other ... fighting for a bigger slice of the mineral wealth of the country. In the end the war claims the very poor African -- again."

Police ministry spokesman Zweli Mnisi told The Associated Press on Friday that more than 30 people were killed on Thursday in the police volleys of gunfire during the strike, now a week old. He said an investigation into the shooting near Marikana, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, is underway. Political parties and labor unions, including the ANC, called for an independent inquiry.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h9sSX4Ozg-j1F5ZUQpLC2hYQlIBw?docId=516088fcf55d4ded883824d1b9b43521

[trouble.smith]

1. Government thugs gunning down unarmed citizens?

hard to believe that that kind of thing still happens.

[cali]

3. the miners, weren't entirely unarmed

but it was absolutely still a massacre.

[trouble.smith]

4. sure enough, they had "machetes, clubs, and homemade spears"

I see the wounded aren't being treated in any hospitals and the government is airing "replay after replay" of the massacre for everyone to see. that should send them the message.

[Swagman]

5. I think you nailed it

[cali]

2. The death toll is 35.

and here's a link to the Time story and video.

http://world.time.com/2012/08/16/south-africas-police-open-fire-on-striking-miners-the-video/?iid=gs-main-mostpop2