Reuters AlertNet Lite - Rio may nix Live Earth gig for safety reasons

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Rio may nix Live Earth gig for safety reasons

04 Jul 2007 14:10:37 GMT
Source: Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 4 (Reuters) - Brazilian authorities have obtained a court injunction suspending the Rio show of the Live Earth global series of concerts set for Saturday on concerns about security in the crime-hit city.

The Rio de Janeiro state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday there were not enough police to safeguard the concert for climate change awareness on Copacabana beach as all security efforts would be concentrated on preparations for the Pan American Games, which start on July 13.

"In the case of such big events the prosecutor's office always asks for a police assessment and they told us they didn't have enough personnel to provide security at the event," a spokeswoman said.

The municipal RioTur tourism authority, which is involved in the event organization, said it had not yet been informed of the injunction, which can be appealed in a higher court.

Last month, Istanbul was dropped from a list of nine cities set to hold the concerts because of a lack of interest and security concerns.

Police have stepped up operations against drug gangs in Rio's slums in the run-up to the Pan American Games. Last week, they raided a slum on the outskirts of the city, killing 19 suspected drug traffickers after a long siege of the area in which two dozen people had been killed and over 60 wounded.

Performers including Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams, Jorge Ben Jor and Macy Gray have been lined up to play on Copacabana to an expected audience of 1 million people in the only free, open-to-all event of the Live Earth series.

Rio, the sixth-largest city in the Western Hemisphere, will host 5,500 athletes from across the Americas as well as an estimated 800,000 tourists for the Pan American Games.

Officials hope the events will showcase the city's legendary charms instead of exposing its rampant crime.

Rio has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with a toll comparable to some war zones. At least 1,800 people were killed in the first four months of 2007 in the metropolitan area, official figures show.

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Last updated:Wed Jul 4 14:11:29 2007