Sanford Apologizes for Orangeburg Massacre Sunday February 09, 2003 8:10am Did Secretary of State Colin Powell make the case that Iraq is in violation of UN resolutions?  Yes  No  Undecided disclaimer  |  results  |  more polls ___  ABC News 4 Interact  ___    • Signup for eNews Alerts    • ABC News 4 Pulse Poll    • Whats Your Opinion?    • Printable Version    • E-Mail This Story ___  Related Stories  ___ Sanford Opens His Office to Public Sanford Praises Bush's Tax Plan Sanford Sends BMW SUV Packing Columbia (AP) - Governor Mark Sanford has formally apologized for state troopers gunning down three civil rights protesters in Orangeburg 35 years ago.  Sanford did not attend today's memorial for what has become known as the Orangeburg Massacre.  But afterward, he issued a statement apologizing for the trooper's actions.  At a memorial two years ago, former Governor Jim Hodges said the people of the state deeply regret the incident, but a spokesman said at the time it was not a formal apology.  Sanford's apology caught civil rights leaders by surprise, including state NAACP president James Gallman. Gallman says the apology was long overdue.  The incident started February Eighth, 1968, when protesters marched back to South Carolina State University's campus from an Orangeburg bowling alley where blacks were banned.  A platoon of white highway patrolmen opened fire and killed three students. Twenty-seven others from South Carolina State, neighboring Claflin University and an area high school were injured.  The troopers say the protesters were armed, but the students say they were staging a peaceful protest. » Find More Articles Related To This One » Search The Internet For More On This Topic Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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