South African police and army units have held a parade involving helicopters and officers on motorcycles in a show of force in advance of expected demonstrations around the Group of 20 world leaders summit in Johannesburg this weekend.

The military flex on Wednesday came as authorities bolstered security by adding 3,500 police officers and placing the army on standby under the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure – a unified command that coordinates the country’s police, military, and intelligence agencies for high-profile events.

Deputy national commissioner for policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, told reporters on Tuesday that authorities were expecting protests in Johannesburg and other big South African cities.

“We will allow that right [to protest] to

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