Powerful protests
In 1944, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC), a political party that was against apartheid. In 1955, Mandela, who was then a lawyer, was arrested, along with around 150 other people. They were accused of treason (betraying one’s country) but none were found guilty. Mandela was arrested again in 1962, this time for leaving the country without a permit and for encouraging workers to go on strike (which means to stop working, as part of a protest). He spent the next 27 years in prison, during which time his mother and eldest son died. He was not allowed to go to their funerals.