Police Fire Tear Gas at Funeral
Police fired tear gas Saturday to scatter thousands of black youths chanting and singing at a cemetery service for three teen-agers killed in a power struggle between rival Soweto township gangs.
Before the funeral, a police colonel was heard telling families of the victims: “We will not allow any sound system, any political speeches, any banners or flags. We do not want to see any dancing around. This is a funeral and not a party. We don’t want any nonsense.”
After the bodies were lowered into the ground, crowds of youths began singing political songs, doing a shuffling sort of dance and chanting “ANC!” and the names of leaders of the African National Congress, the outlawed guerrilla group.
Black police told the crowd of about 2,000 to stop, said a local reporter on the scene. But they did not, and after about 10 minutes, at least 11 tear gas canisters were fired.
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