A violent clash between fans and police forced the suspension of a top-tier football match in Paraguay on Sunday.
The Olimpia vs Cerro Porteno derby turned violent and was called off after 29 minutes due to the outbreak of violence. Paraguayan officials had to suspend a match between the country’s top football clubs after several people were injured when fans clashed with police at a stadium in the capital.
Witnesses said the violence was sparked during the Primera Division derby between Olimpia and Cerro Porteno on Sunday by the detonation of high-powered firecrackers that were smuggled into the section of the Defensores del Chaco Stadium allocated to Cerro Porteno supporters in Asuncion.
One person told a local newspaper that some fans took a police officer’s riot shield and “paraded it like a trophy” in front of the crowd. Police responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into the stands, forcing hundreds of spectators to flee onto the pitch. TV pictures showed smoke engulfing portions of the stands.
The match – played before a crowd of about 40,000 – was called off after 29 minutes, and about 100 people were detained.
The Olimpia vs Cerro Porteno derby turned violent and was called off after 29 minutes due to the outbreak of violence. Paraguayan officials had to suspend a match between the country’s top football clubs after several people were injured when fans clashed with police at a stadium in the capital.
Witnesses said the violence was sparked during the Primera Division derby between Olimpia and Cerro Porteno on Sunday by the detonation of high-powered firecrackers that were smuggled into the section of the Defensores del Chaco Stadium allocated to Cerro Porteno supporters in Asuncion.
One person told a local newspaper that some fans took a police officer’s riot shield and “paraded it like a trophy” in front of the crowd. Police responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into the stands, forcing hundreds of spectators to flee onto the pitch. TV pictures showed smoke engulfing portions of the stands.
The match – played before a crowd of about 40,000 – was called off after 29 minutes, and about 100 people were detained.