On Saturday, December 28, 1929, there was a large peaceful march in the capital city of Apia to honor the members of Mau who had been expelled by the authorities. However, the authorities were vehemently opposed to the Mau, and during the march, they opened fire in an attempt to arrest the demonstrators.
Amidst the chaos, the leader of the Mau, Prince Tamosese, was killed, which led the Mau to declare its intention to seek independence from New Zealand.
A Mau member named Nelson, who had been in exile, returned to Samoa to support the movement. However, he was arrested and sentenced to eight months in prison and ten years in exile.
The situation continued to deteriorate, and eventually, marines were sent from New Zealand to intervene.