South African police were forced to open fire to protect themselves from charging armed protesters at the Marikana mine, Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega said on<br/> <br />Friday.<br/> <br />She told a news conference that 34 people were dead, 78 injured and 259 arrested in Thursday's violence.<br/> <br />Phiyega added that police were saddened by the loss of life in the incident, which came after a week of inter-union violence and strikes at the mine.
