Brazilian police arrested more than 250 fans of Uruguayan football club Penarol on Wednesday after riots before a Copa Libertadores semi-final match against local side Botafogo.

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Hundreds of fans of Uruguayan club Penarol ran riot on the Rio de Janeiro waterfront on Wednesday, setting fire to a bus and vandalizing beach-side kiosks,

More than 200 supporters of Uruguayan club Penarol were detained Wednesday after clashing with law enforcement ahead of their team's Copa Libertadores semifinal match against Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro police said.

Hundreds of Uruguayan club Penarol fans incited chaos on Rio's waterfront, setting fire to a bus and damaging kiosks. The unrest was sparked by an arrest of a fan, leading to a police crackdown with over 200 arrests.

Dozens of Peñarol fans committed a series of vandalistic acts on a beach in Rio de Janeiro hours before the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinals against Botafogo, official sources reported.

Police said in a statement that the fans “were involved in a series of acts of vandalism, looting and destruction of business places and vehicles.” One pistol was found, police said

More than 250 Penarol supporters were detained after violent clashes with police in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the Copa Libertadores semifinal against Botafogo. The fans were involved in vandalism and looting,

Hundreds of fans of Uruguayan club Penarol ran riot on the Rio de Janeiro waterfront on Wednesday, setting fire to a bus and vandalizing beach-side kiosks, police said. The pitched battle lasted more than an hour until riot police armed with batons restored order and arrested at least 200 Uruguayans,