On October 23, over 250 fans of the Montevideo-based Peñarol soccer club were arrested after clashes with Brazilian law enforcement before the semi-final match against Rio de Janeiro-based Botafogo.
Local police said Peñarol fans had taken part in “a series of acts of vandalism, looting and destruction of businesses and vehicles”.
Video footage showed Peñarol supporters, identifiable by their yellow and black striped shirts, throwing rocks at police officers, using tables from local kiosks to defend themselves and torching motorcycles. Peñarol fans reportedly used tent poles as makeshift weapons and firefighters had to be called in response to burning vehicles. The police also seized a pistol.
Most of the arrested fans were released after cooperation between the Peñarol football club, the Uruguayan consulate and the Brazilian government. However, 22 fans, including a minor, remained in custody.
One fan who was released after being detained for seven hours recalled: “They made us line up single file and took us into a small room, not knowing what was going to happen. As the officer walked in, we saw a line of about 20 or 25 soldiers. The first one punched me right in the stomach, and that’s when we knew what was coming.”
He continued, “The police kept hitting us and insulting us. That’s how it was for the seven hours they had us there,” claiming that before most of the fans were released, special police forces entered the room filled with over 250 people and sprayed them all with pepper spray.
Last week, relatives of those arrested staged a protest at Uruguay’s national football stadium, Centenario Stadium, before the semi-final home match against Botafogo. They carried placards with slogans such as “Defending yourself is not a crime” and “Families united for the same cause”. Fans also threw stones at two buses transporting Botafogo fans to the stadium.
Former Peñarol president and club lawyer Jorge Barrera said of the situation: “Nobody justifies criminal behavior, but this was a scandal.”
