Police Use Stun Grenades to Clear Carnival Crowds in São Paulo

02/18/2015 - 09h12

The Carnival celebrations in the Vila Madalena, in the west of São Paulo, finished in chaos, with stun grenades used by police in response to bottles being thrown.

At least four people were hurt, including a police officer, at the intersection of the streets Fidalga and Aspicuelta.

The trouble began around 12:45am, when a team of street cleaners and the police gathered to disperse the crowds.

According to the city government's security plan, the parties have to finish at 1am.

A few individuals threw bottles at the police and the street cleaners. The police responded with stun grenades.

The streets of Vila Madalena have been busy during Carnival, with noise and garbage complaints from local residents.

A similar situation occurred last year during the World Cup.

On previous nights, the police had blocked access to the neighborhood to disperse the crowds.

However, on Saturday (15) night, they did not manage to clear the area until around 3:30am.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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