Fan footage shows Brazilian police storm stands to attack San Lorenzo supporters

A Copa Libertadores tie between Atlético Mineiro and San Lorenzo descended into violence on Tuesday as riot police burst into the stands.

San Lorenzo supporters had traveled to Brazil for the second leg of the Round of 16 clash, only to see their team eliminated after falling to a 2-1 aggregate defeat. During the game, dozens of police officers stormed the area housing San Lorenzo fans and forcibly cleared a portion of the stands.

Police were wearing stab vest, helmets and riot shields. Many appeared to be using batons and carrying rifles. Reports suggest that pepper spray was used to move fans from the area.

Why did police attack San Lorenzo fans?

A reason for the ruthless response was not immediately clear. There had been no contemporary reports of violence between the two sets of supporters and no incursions onto the field or other sections of the stadium.

The violence on Tuesday evening has worrying echoes of an incident between Brazilian police and Argentinian supporters from last November. A World Cup qualifiers at the Maracana saw violent clashes between police and Argentina fans, with local organisers blamed for poor preparations and a heavy-handed approach.

Similarly, the 2023 Copa Libertadores final also saw confrontation between the two South American nations, with Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police called in to intervene in an incident that began on the beach. The Buenos Aires Herald claimed that Boca Juniors fans were subject to police repression in the build-up to the Game.