DJ Alok’s ‘Show of the Century’ in Copacabana marked by looting, clashes, injuries and more than 500 detainees

Billed as the “Show of the Century” by the Brazilian DJ Alok, this Saturday evening, despite the unusual cold in the city and heavy rain, a huge crowd went to Copacabana Beach, south of Rio de Janeiro, and there really was a lot of music and enthusiasm from the public. , but there were also many fights, thefts, robberies and injured people. The show was in honor of the 100th anniversary of the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, majestically located on the same side of the street, and in honor of the 32nd anniversary of Alok, celebrated exactly yesterday.

This Sunday morning, August 27, three police stations near the show venue – Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon – were still partially balanced with at least 500 suspects detained before, during and after the show. In most cases, suspects were arrested for theft, robbery (with violence) or for attempting to enter the show area with knives of all sizes, including large machetes, utility knives, brass knuckles and screwdrivers, as well as other items that can be used for anything, other than enjoying a musical performance.

Groups of criminals have even managed to overcome heavily reinforced police barriers and raid the crowd, stealing cell phones, gold chains and bracelets, wallets and even wedding rings. In a number of cases, in order to facilitate the criminal case, the perpetrators, many of whom were minors, threw several victims at once to the ground, and then stood on them and stole everything they could, despite the passivity of those who were nearby and did nothing. indifference or panic.

In places where the concentration of people was more intense, the level of crime was also higher, not least because this made it difficult for the security forces to respond, and at one point a large clearing was visible near the stage, as the crowd moved up, trying to escape from robbers. On social media, people who participated in what was supposed to be just a big party reported looting and violence they witnessed or suffered, and posted pictures of people covered in blood.

Until the end of the show, shortly before 11 pm local time and until 3 am this Sunday in Lisbon, robberies and fights continued, and the criminals, taking advantage of the turmoil caused by the departure of the huge crowd, simultaneously began to act. Street vendors even removed the wooden poles from their stalls to attack the robbers, but they were not very successful and more people were stolen and robbed trying to board buses that were already more than overcrowded or squeezed into the stairs leading to the subway . trying to return to their homes.