This made the government think that Nelson was a threat and an immense danger to society, so they felt his sentence was fair. Mandela's speeches and contributions as a politician suddenly became nationally known because Mandela was risking his life and imprisoning himself in order to make others rise up and take action against injustice. Because people around the world knew about the existence of segregation in South Africa – which was one of the few countries to still support this type of system – the nation opposed trade and international sanctions with South Africa. This also cost the country a ban on attending the 1964 Olympic Games [from the “Mandela Legacy” website]. In the 1980s, Nelson became a recognizable and admirable figure who became a source of inspiration for numerous political groups and communities around the world. The nation soon became interested in Mandela's case and organized a show marking and celebrating Mandela's 70th birthday, making more people aware of his struggle. Criticism and opposition to Nelson's conviction flooded South Africa's member party. The government was determined not to release him, but unrest in the surrounding environment and global pressure meant that Mandela was released 2 years after the show [from the book “Long Walk to Freedom”]. His