Robert Subukwe, leader of the Pan African Congress (PAC), had made the following statement just five days before the mass killings in Sharpeville. "I have appealed to the African people to make sure that the campaign we are to embark on must be conducted in good spirit and non violence," he said, "and I am certain they will heed my call. If the [government] so desires, we will provide them with ample opportunity to demonstrate to the world how brutal they can be.