It wasnt a peaceful demonstration per se but you still dont respond to a mosquito bite with a hammer! They could have used water,tear gas or rubber bullets.

I'm rarely on the side of cops who are normally too eager to pretend to be tough but in this case.

They killed two cops in the same area, they had matchetes, alleged guns and were approaching the cops in a menacing group.

Surely, what did they expect? We need sometimes to consider a situation before judging this as another police massacre.

Those guys on CNN know very well that if you tried that in New York, it would be army gunships firing at you.

What can you do when confronted by armed marauding grow up men? Mind you they had hacked and slaughtered 2 police officers and several of their workmates. Kudos to police

@Alma
...And you know what, these are the same guys who voted for Keagan instead of our Prezzo at BBA without understanding the politicla and economic realities in their own country!!! Uuuuuuuuuwiiiiii...Am I telling @Alma about BBA?

“The police, in order to protect their own lives and in self-defence, were forced to engage the group with force.”
This had followed extensive and unsuccessful negotiations by police to disarm and disperse a heavily armed group of illegal gathers at a hilltop near the mine.
“We’ve accommodated them for four days, 10 people are now dead; property has been damaged and burnt. We now have to use force,” he said.

Until Thursday afternoon, the death toll had stood at 10 – two police officers, two security guards, three striking miners and three bystanders since the illegal strike began on Friday.

Those on the hilltop had vowed not to leave until their salaries had been upped from R5 000 to R12 500.

Attempts by police and union representatives to negotiate a truce with the strikers, who were armed with home-made weapons including axes, sharpened steel rods, pangas and knobkerries, had failed.

Sawa.nimevuka sakafu..but not coz of bba,me i've since moved on..those miners had pushed it.