Johannesburg, South Africa — 22 November 2025
Two members of the protest group Operation Dudula were arrested after the demonstration near the G20 Leaders’ Summit venue at the Nasrec Expo Centre turned violent. Police say protesters attempted to leave the designated demonstration zone, leading to a confrontation entailing teargas and arrests.
According to law-enforcement officials, the crowd initially gathered in the approved protest area but sought to continue to areas closer to the summit’s high-security perimeter. When members refused repeated instructions to remain in the allocated space, public-order officers intervened, deploying teargas and pepper spray.
Charges have now been opened against Operation Dudula including incitement of public violence, violation of a court order and assaulting a police officer.
Protesters from Operation Dudula say their demonstration sought to draw attention to unemployment, immigration policy and service-delivery failures, arguing the summit’s global focus ignored persistent domestic issues. Group leader Zandile Dabula criticised the police’s use of force, saying the state applies stricter measures to protestors than to criminal suspects.
Despite the tension, summit organisers reported no disruption to the high-level diplomatic sessions. Police confirmed the arrests were limited to protesters and no delegates or summit operations were impacted.
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