Why did the PAIGC change from peaceful protest to armed struggle in 1959?

The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde (PAIGC) initially sought to achieve independence through peaceful protest and political resistance, such as organizing workers' strikes to demand better wages and conditions.12

The shift to armed struggle was prompted by the violent response of the Portuguese colonial authorities to these peaceful efforts. In August 1959, during a dockworkers' strike, Portuguese forces fired upon demonstrators, killing and wounding numerous people in what became known as the Pidjiguiti Massacre. This brutal suppression convinced the PAIGC leadership, headed by Amílcar Cabral, that peaceful methods were ineffective against the colonial and fascist regime and that only a rurally based armed struggle would be sufficient to secure independence. Following this realization, the party underwent a period of political preparation and military training before launching its armed campaign in January 1963.3241