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Defiance Against Political Pressure
Despite efforts by the prison authorities to prevent the statement, the decision was made to address the people directly. The event occurred on February 10, 1985, in Soweto's Jabulani Stadium, near the site of a past student uprising. Mandela rejected a conditional release offer, stating that he would not renounce violence while freedom was still denied. The speech conveyed the message of unity in the struggle for freedom.