Johannesburg — South Africa’s police and army forces held a parade on Wednesday with helicopters, K-9 canine units and police officers on motorcycles ahead of protests expected before and after this weekend’s 20-nation summit in Johannesburg.
South Africa has deployed an additional 3,500 police officers and put the military on standby under the National Joint Operations and Intelligence Service (an organization that brings police, military and intelligence agencies together under one command and provides security for large-scale incidents).
Deputy National Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Thebelo Moshikiri told reporters on Tuesday that authorities expected protests in Johannesburg and other major South African cities.
“We’re going to allow them to exercise that right (to protest),” she said. “However, within the proper limits of appropriate directives and laws.”
South African police said they had designated specific areas near the summit venue, an exhibition center adjacent to the country’s largest soccer stadium, where demonstrators could gather. The head of the South African Airports Corporation, which operates major international airports, said a “speaker’s corner” would be set up at the airport and security would be “accommodating” if protesters staged a demonstration when world leaders arrived.
The two-day summit opens on Saturday and is expected to include leaders and top diplomats from more than 40 countries, as well as global organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization.
Demonstrations are expected by anti-capitalists, climate change activists, women’s rights campaigners and anti-immigrant groups, some of whom have raised issues of poverty and inequality in South Africa itself.
The union representing members of South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority has already caused controversy by installing billboards around Johannesburg that read: “Welcome to the most racially restrictive country in the world.” One of the boards was removed by city authorities, and the Afrikaner trade union Solidarity threatened legal action.
These signs refer to South Africa’s affirmative action law, which promotes opportunities for black people, and are part of the diplomatic influence between South Africa and the United States.
US President Donald Trump will not attend the G20 summit, boycotting what he says is South Africa’s black-led government promoting racist, anti-white policies and violently persecuting the Afrikaner minority. The US government’s boycott threatens to derail Africa’s first G20 summit, although President Trump’s claims have been widely rejected as baseless.
Other groups hope to use this opportunity to draw attention to a myriad of issues.
The Women for Change advocacy group is calling for a nationwide shutdown on Friday, the eve of the summit. They are protesting the extremely high rates of violence against women and femicide in South Africa and calling on women to boycott their day’s work.
“The G20 cannot talk about growth and progress until South Africa stops burying a woman every two and a half hours,” Women for Change said.
Anti-immigrant groups in South Africa will stage protests against unemployment and poverty in the country, where the country’s 31% unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, its leader said.
A coalition of groups protesting climate change and wealth inequality has organized an alternative summit in another part of Johannesburg starting Thursday, saying the G20 gathering is “for the rich.”
Johannesburg authorities also began extensive demolition and repair work ahead of the summit to address some of the broken infrastructure plaguing South Africa’s largest city.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also joined the effort last week, donning green overalls and helping out with some of the work in the town of Soweto, just a few miles from where the summit will be held.
The multi-million dollar operation for the two-day political conference has been met with cynicism from many in Johannesburg, who are accustomed to broken streetlights, roads riddled with cracks and potholes, and deteriorating services that lead to water and electricity outages.
“I really don’t think it will be beneficial for South Africans or South Africans in general for us to host this G20. It’s just a waste of money,” said Johannesburg resident Lerato Lerusa.
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Associated Press video journalist Nqobile Ntshangase contributed to this article.
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