Gimnasia La Plata vs Boca Juniors: One dead as match suspended due to tear gas
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to stop fans pushing into the crowded venue.
The match between Gimnasia and Boca Juniors was suspended due to police repression outside the stadium. At least one person died while police clashed with the fans trying to enter the already full stadium, and police fired rubber bullets and tear gas trying to get the crowd to retreat.
The Tear gas entered the stadium, and the players could not breathe well. The referee stopped the game in the ninth minute as clouds of tear gas spread inside the stadium.
The incident came less than a week after the use of tear gas outside a soccer match in Indonesia set off a stampede that left 131 people dead.
Players retreated to their changing rooms, and many spectators flooded onto the field trying to escape the tear gas.
The Argentine Football Association posted a a statement on its Twitter account condemning the incident and violence: “The AFA strongly repudiates the events that took place today in the vicinity of Gimnasia stadium and expresses its commitment to continue working to eradicate this kind of incidents that tarnishes the spirit of football.”
In its security protocols, FIFA advises against the use of tear gas in or around stadiums in order to avoid risky situations such as in La Plata or in the Indonesian city of Malanga last Saturday, when many of the dead were crushed to death during the stampede of fans.
No new date was announced for resuming the game.
