1956 – Mandela and 155 Others Arrested in South Africa

On June 6, 1956, Nelson Mandela and 155 others were arrested by the apartheid regime in South Africa on charges of treason. The mass arrest targeted anti-apartheid leaders from the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress, and other resistance movements. The accused were held responsible for supposedly plotting to overthrow the government. The resulting Treason Trial, which stretched from 1956 to 1961, was one of the most significant legal battles in the country’s liberation struggle. Though all defendants were eventually acquitted, the trial sought to cripple the anti-apartheid leadership and intimidate political activism. Instead, it galvanized resistance and further solidified Mandela’s role as a key leader. The event highlighted the extent of state surveillance and repression in apartheid South Africa.