Leo Paradizo, a journalist from the Argentine private television channel TN, was evicted along with his cameraman, Diego Spairani, while they were live broadcasting the incidents that preceded the final of the Copa America between Argentina and Colombia this Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Everything happened a few minutes before the start of the match, when Conmebol decided to close all access to the stadium and give the green light for the two teams to take the field.
Paradizo was interviewing from inside those who were on the other side of the gate, many of them holding tickets.
However, suddenly one of the entrances opened and a group of Colombian and Argentine fans burst in. The Miami police tried to control the flood of fans who, with or without tickets, were entering in front of the television cameras.
Suddenly, a group of female police officers pushed and cornered the Argentine journalist against a corner, while other agents covered the images he was still broadcasting live. Some of the detained individuals were thrown to the ground and subdued using Taser guns.
“Why are they removing us? We are working,” Paradizo repeated as he was forced to leave. Moments later, the signal was cut.
"It was a moment, now to tell and reassure that we are okay. We were always fine. We understand what the limit is where our physical integrity is at risk, and we knew how to see that limit to avoid things escalating further," Leo Paradizo said minutes later, criticizing the way they were expelled from the stadium despite being accredited.
"We were kicked out, but we did not disrespect anyone. We were on the people's side, showing what was happening, and we received physical aggression from those who controlled access. We were removed in a very bad way. It was not disobedience towards authority. The way they removed us, as if we were criminals, no. We were doing journalism, our job, showing what was happening," he concluded.
The final of the Copa América between Argentina and Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which Argentina eventually won 1-0, was marked by chaotic scenes this Sunday after thousands of fans, mainly Colombians, violated several access points in an attempt to enter the venue without tickets.
The match, which was scheduled to start promptly at 8:00 p.m. (local time), suffered a delay of an hour and 22 minutes due to the massive influx of fans without tickets who tried to enter the stadium by force, prompting a closure of the gates decreed by the authorities.
Miami-Dade County Police issued a statement indicating that "these incidents have been the result of the undisciplined behavior of fans trying to access the stadium."
Furthermore, they warned that there would be "zero tolerance" for those who did not respect the rules, which could result in expulsions and arrests.
The mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, and the chief of Public Safety, James Reyes, also commented on the chaos at the Copa America final:
We are outraged by the unprecedented events in tonight's Copa America final. The Copa America final is organized by Conmebol, and the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) provides security support along with other law enforcement agencies," wrote Levine Cava.
Tonight, the MDPD assigned over 550 officers to the stadium, including our Priority Response Team, and is utilizing all possible resources to ensure a safe experience for all attendees. Additionally, the MDPD has brought in additional personnel from other jurisdictions to support the security and well-being of everyone," they added.
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