June 30 anti-immigrant protests

On June 30, thousands of people marched through Hillbrow, led by the anti-immigrant group March and March. Protesters shouted, carried wooden weapons and threatened a ‘national shutdown’ if undocumented migrants did not leave South Africa.

 

The group had set June 30 as the ‘deadline’, a date that had already forced thousands of people to leave the country in fear. Shops closed, families stayed home and police patrolled the streets.

 

While March and March claimed that migrants are ‘stealing jobs and increasing crime’, research argues that this narrative shifts focus away from the deeper issues of inequality, corruption and poor governance. South Africa’s long history of xenophobic violence shows that these marches are not isolated events but part of a recurring pattern. 

 

The June 30 protests highlight how quickly anger and fear can be turned against marginalised communities. They are a reminder of the need for solidarity and collective resistance against xenophobic violence.