On March 14, 1922, thousands of Kikuyu, Luo, and Kamba gathered outside the Central Police Station in Nairobi, demanding the release of Harry Thuku. Thuku had organized against forced labor, the kipande pass system, and land alienation. The colonial authorities considered him dangerous. When the crowd refused to disperse, police opened fire. At least 25 people died. Thuku was deported to Kismayu for nine years. But the protest marked a turning point. For the first time, Africans in Kenya had organized mass political action. Thuku was the first nationalist. The movement he started led to independence.