Havoc Follows Flamengo’s Libertadores Cup Victory Parade in Downtown Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The turmoil began around 4:15 PM as the bandwagon entered Santana Street and the sound was turned off. According to reports, some fans tried to break through the barrier surrounding the players, and the crowd started running. Many children were caught in the middle of the turmoil.
For approximately 30 minutes, fans and police officers clashed in the middle of President Vargas Avenue, the main parade route. Police officers and security forces even pointed guns at fans who were still on the avenue.
According to the Sate Police (PM), 1,300 police officers were involved in the security plan set up to host the players in downtown Rio.
The police reported that they were attacked with several objects such as bottles, rocks and pieces of wood, and as a result were forced to use weapons of lesser offensive potential to protect the police officers and to control the crowd trying to reach the interdicted area.
The spokesman also commented that the police officers had their guns pointed at the fans.
“I followed several footage of state police officers pointing guns at fans. They used weapons of lower offensive potential, tear gas, pepper spray. However, the state police have this weaponry and can use it during an approach they feels threatened. If any excess has occurred, they will be held accountable.”
In an interview with TV Globo, PM spokesman Colonel Mauro Fliess said that police officers working in the region identified some individuals as known offenders and members of a fanatic group of club supporters banned from matches.
“The state police officers deployed at the protection block were from the Events and Stadiums Battalion. Due to their great expertise in soccer games, they recognized some fans as offenders who had been banned from a specific organized Flamengo fan base. The group of fans who were banned from the stadiums are the Young Fans of Flamengo.”
Also according to the colonel, there was no detour in the players’ route during the course.
“It was an agressive action of vandals who wanted to continue following the bandwagon until the limit defined by the planning document.”
Some bus stop shelters were destroyed during the disturbances. According to information from GloboNews, 23 people were attended to in hospitals after the clashes.
The situation was calmer at around 5:10 PM, but there were still many police officers downtown. Traffic on Presidente Vargas Avenue started to be clear up around 5:30 PM.
Flamengo’s players were carried in the bandwagon to the police Shock Troop precinct, on Frei Caneca Street, downtown. From there they traveled by bus to the Ninho do Urubu, the club’s training center in Rio’s Western Zone. Some players and manager Jorge Jesus took pictures with police officers inside the station.
Hit-and-run accident during the rioting
An official City Hall car hit a traffic officer in the midst of the riot. In a note, the Municipal Guard reported that João Roberto Costa, 31 years old, an officer of the Tactical Mobile Grouping (GTM), was rushed to the Tijuca Emergency Care Unit, North Zone, where he was treated.
According to the entity, he was examined and no fractures were found. He suffered abrasions on the left arm and leg from falling and he is well.
A large group of fans began hurling rocks and bottles at the security team, breaking the car windows. To protect the other agents and the fans, the driver was forced to quickly leave the scene and while backing up, he hit the agent who was standing behind the vehicle.
The municipal guard said it would handle “the accident as an isolated event,” but said it would intensify tactical technical training for the driver, now part of the daily routine of agents working on disturbance control.
Party lasts 4 hours
Fans of Flamengo began to meet in downtown Rio on Sunday morning, November 24th, for the celebration of their second conquest of the Libertadores championship. The team from Rio de Janeiro had defeated the Buenos Aires team River Plate 2-1 at the Monumental Stadium in Lima, Peru, on Saturday afternoon.
The open car parade with the victorious team began just before 1 PM before a large crowd in the area surrounding the Candelária Square in the heart of downtown Rio.
The team left the Peruvian capital in the early hours of Sunday and landed at the International Airport of Rio de Janeiro, on Ilha do Governador, at 10:32 AM.
Before deplaning, striker Gabigol, the star of the comeback win, extended an official red and black Flamengo flag from the cockpit window, in front of the press and euphoric airport officials.
At noon, the victorious team left the terminal inside a custom bus and then paraded through the city in an open car. On the way downtown, while still on Ilha do Governador, fans were storming the streets and holding flags.
Around 12:30 PM, Flamengo’s team was on the bandwagon downtown holding the cup, and then started the tour in front of the Candelária Church. The route along Presidente Vargas Avenue, heading to the Zumbi dos Palmares monument, is approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) long.
The bandwagon was protected by a team of security guards, who created a barrier to allow the vehicle to travel in the crowd.
Flamengo fans waved to the players and chanted the club anthem and traditional fan songs.
Fans tried to watch the celebration from the rooftops of buildings and a few even clambered onto construction scaffolding surrounding some buildings on Presidente Vargas Avenue.
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