[Mrluvaluva]

Around 160 people have been arrested and at least eight people injured during a riot outside a Metallica concert in Bogota, Colombia.

Youtube video

The police, who were expecting crowd trouble, had deployed 1,500 officers, four tanks and several police trucks to manage the event.

Some 30,000 people had tickets to see the band in the Colombian capital, but hundreds of ticketless fans tried to break through barriers to see their heavy metal heroes.

Local media reported that four fans and four police officers were injured in the ensuing riot, with one person treated for a knife wound.

Prior to the concert, there were posts on social networking site Facebook inciting fans to crash the gig.

Ruben Castillo, a local police chief, said the rioters also damaged property around the park.

"Those people that did not get in wanted to get in by force," he said.

"The presence of police and riot teams was necessary because these misfits - there's no other name for them - damaged some windows in the surrounding area."

The protesters also damaged traffic signals during the 45-minute riot, and demolished walls to use rocks as missiles.

The concert itself was not disrupted.

Metallica last played in Colombia in May 1999. The band's concert in Chilean capital Santiago in January was marred by riots, with 120 fans arrested after clashing with police.


SKY