Take care and look after yourselves, anyone over there for the show...


RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- A gang turf war broke out when 40 armed men invaded Rio de Janeiro's largest slum, killing at least six people as the city prepares for a Rolling Stones concert and Carnival, police said Thursday.

Police squads raided the area, not far from Rio's beaches and posh neighborhoods, after the clash erupted in Rocinha on Wednesday night. They arrested seven people, but raids and shooting continued into the early hours Thursday.

A leader of a local drug gang and several more people were wounded. A 14-year-old was among the six dead.

Police could not say whether those killed were drug traffickers or slum dwellers, who often die in the crossfire.

The invading gang, armed with assault rifles, machine guns and grenades, shot up power transformers in the slum, leaving it without light. Many slum dwellers could not get back to their homes after work due to the shootout.

The confrontation was the first big incident in Rocinha this year, but in 2005 and 2004 it suffered various flare-ups of violence in which more than two dozen people died.

The hillside Rocinha, with a population of more than 150,000 people, is reputed to be the largest slum in Latin America. It lies close to the posh beachside areas such as Ipanema and Leblon and the new rich district of Barra da Tijuca, which makes it a lucrative drug-selling market.

Gangs rule in most of Rio's slums, and warfare often spills out in the streets, even closing main thoroughfares.

Hordes of tourists are arriving in Rio for Saturday's free Rolling Stones gig and for the February 24 start of Carnival. Police will occupy slums around Copacabana beach, where bands will play, and reinforce patrols across the city.

well I'm really worried about what might happen before during and after the show.
let's hope people will keep cool .

There is only one reasonable thing the Stones can do - cancel,
and play a more down-to-earth-Uncle Scrooge-pay mucho-concert.
This can only result in either disasters or series of accidents.

A nice, slowed down version of Under My Thumb, is called for

Baboon Bro Wrote:
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> There is only one reasonable thing the Stones can
> do - cancel,
> and play a more down-to-earth-Uncle Scrooge-pay
> mucho-concert.
> This can only result in either disasters or series
> of accidents.


No, the beach is safe. Just stay clear from the hillside's or do not wander around at night alone (just like pretty much everywhere).

The only thing they can do is cancel and have a free concert in the uk.

Or in Mid-Sweden.
...But, seriously, nuthin is safe at a free Stones concert.

I hope if trouble starts the Stones don't hang around to see what'g going on; I'd rather they leave and not return!

Debra Wrote:
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> I hope if trouble starts the Stones don't hang
> around to see what'g going on; I'd rather they
> leave and not return!

quick exit, via the walkway, back to the hotel

Quick exit via the bullet proof, metal-clad walkway?????
Glad it's not me that is standing on that stage.
You can't catch bullets.

Oily.

OILY_DIPSTICK Wrote:
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> Quick exit via the bullet proof, metal-clad
> walkway?????
> Glad it's not me that is standing on that stage.
> You can't catch bullets.


when you put it like that, it's pretty worrying.

It only takes one fruitcake, out of an audience of 1 million + ,
no bag checks?
no metal detectors?

the odds of something going wrong much be higher than at any time since, dare i say it, Altamont.

People, please relax! It's a beach in Rio, not the getto. These shooting are 'way up on the hillside', half an hour drive away. Never saw any trouble on the Copa. Just don't be there alone at night.

Baboon Bro Wrote:
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> But, seriously, nuthin is safe at a free Stones concert.


Staples Center, Los Angeles. February 2003.
Free Stones concert arranged by the NRDC to raise awareness of global warming. With Bill Clinton and his security team in presence, it was probably one of the safest Stones concerts ever

Yes, I'm sure all WILL be fine.
But, in the cold light of day, doing some boring risk assessment, it looks a bit hairy.
Oh....and I'm still glad it's not me on that particular stage :-)

Have a good one if you are there, Oily.

Has anyone noticed that the stage seems too low for the crowd that they are anticipating? When I see the stage and how low it is, I get very worried about unhappy crowds and the possible violence. I know that Brazilians are used to crowds and that their matches tend to be remarkably free of problems, but . . . . I would have built that baby two stories above the crowd.

sometimes i want to wrap my coat around that handful of skinny English cats.
lighting incense of well-being for the Stones and the crowd and the town ...

how do you say...."people...people....let's all chill out!!!! why are we fighting??? c'mon let's just groove" in spanish?

After all everythin' might go juuz fine
as long as they dont hire the Angels for security and dont have
Grace Slick & her zonked out pals as a warm-up act

Worst may be to stay awake (or come up with the alarm clock)
in order to watch it in reality time.

I´m sure there will be five hundred gorillas 'rond the stage.
Plus Jim Callaghan.

todd40fla Wrote:
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> how do you say...."people...people....let's all chill out!!!! why are we fighting??? c'mon let's just groove" in spanish?


If Mick speaks Spanish in Rio, there will definitely be a riot!

todd40fla Wrote:
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> how do you say...."people...people....let's all
> chill out!!!! why are we fighting??? c'mon let's
> just groove" in spanish?


In Brazil we speak portuguese, not spanish.

Baboon Bro Wrote:
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> Grace Slick & her zonked out pals as a warm-up act

Opening acts will be Titás and Afroreggae.

> I´m sure there will be five hundred gorillas 'rond the stage.
> Plus Jim Callaghan.

Jim Callaghan is not with the Stones anymore.

I dont envisage any problems at all for the stones or people going to enjoy themselves i just wished it was around xmas time that this concert was taking place as i was in brazil at that time even thou four hours away flying time i would have bust a gut to have got there.
The security will be tight for the stones as mick is no mug and if you use comman sense around rio everything will be ok.

Im so envious of the true fans going but i wish you a great time and bring on the dvd.

> Baboon Bro Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Grace Slick & her zonked out pals as a
> warm-up act
>
> Opening acts will be Titás and Afroreggae.
>
> > I´m sure there will be five hundred gorillas
> 'rond the stage.
> > Plus Jim Callaghan.

and a helecopter on standby, no doubt.

drbryant Wrote:
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> Has anyone noticed that the stage seems too low
> for the crowd that they are anticipating? When I
> see the stage and how low it is, I get very
> worried about unhappy crowds and the possible
> violence. I know that Brazilians are used to
> crowds and that their matches tend to be
> remarkably free of problems, but . . . . I would
> have built that baby two stories above the crowd.


If you'd done that, no one would be able to see a thing - and they'd justifiably riot!!

Cohl's already got some Rolling Stones body armour for sale........$5000 a vest with the tongue logo of course

Leonard Keringer Wrote:
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> Cohl's already got some Rolling Stones body armour
> for sale........$5000 a vest with the tongue logo
> of course

Is he selling bottles of sand , yet, on RS.COM, claiming
it's from the VERY beach, of The Stones concert?

Adrian-L Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Leonard Keringer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cohl's already got some Rolling Stones body
> armour
> > for sale........$5000 a vest with the tongue
> logo
> > of course
>
> Is he selling bottles of sand , yet, on RS.COM,
> claiming
> it's from the VERY beach, of The Stones
> concert?
>


yeah Adrian-L.....he's using the left-over empty stones wine bottles and filling 'em with Stones-sand for $750.00 a pop with a paid membership

Let's hope it's not Altamont take 2!

I hope they leave SFTD somewhere along the way.

why?