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Fans riot at Metallica gig In Colombia, over 160 arrested

by mudricky | March 11, 2010 at 04:20 pm

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A riot has broken out in Bogota, Colombia during and after a Metallica concert.

The police presencse was massive with at least 1500 police officers, four tanks and some police trucks at the gig.

Police arrested 120 fans in May 1999 last time the band player there.

Sky News reports that 160 people were arrested this time around, 4 people from the crowd was injured, 1 of them stabbed as well as 4 police officers injured.

The cause of the riot was thought to have been to many fans wanting to see the gig and not enough tickets and it was also reported some fans had arranged to crash the gig on Facebook.

Prior to the concert, there were posts on social networking site Facebook inciting fans to crash the gig.
Ruben Castillo, a local police chief, said the rioters also damaged property around the park.

"Those people that did not get in wanted to get in by force," he said.

"The presence of police and riot teams was necessary because these misfits - there's no other name for them - damaged some windows in the surrounding area."

The protesters also damaged traffic signals during the 45-minute riot, and demolished walls to use rocks as missiles.

The concert itself was not disrupted.