San Francisco Frontiers - Shootout traps tourists at Rio sunrise lookout

The clashes erupted before dawn in the Morro Dona Marta favela, where police launched an operation against the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang, which controls many poor communities in Rio de Janeiro.

Above the favela, tourists who had gone to watch the sun rise from the Dona Marta lookout -- a popular spot for its panoramic view of the city -- were left terrified by the gun battle.

Images shared on social media showed a group of people crouching down while continuous gunfire could be heard in the background.

"It was a war-like situation," Rio photographer Ari Kaye, 43, who had climbed the hill before dawn, told AFP.

"There was a lot of shooting, a very panicked situation. There were about 60 people there and the gunfire lasted around 20 minutes," he said.

Visits to the area were suspended.

"I came to take a guided tour of the favela, but they told me there is a significant police presence today," said Jan Plagge, a 40-year-old German visiting Rio de Janeiro for the first time. "They caught some criminals, but it's over now and I hope the area will be safe again later."

The violence spread to the affluent neighborhood of Botafogo.

Videos posted on social media showed military police officers running down Sao Clemente Street, one of the area's main thoroughfares, carrying rifles.

AFP journalists observed a heavy police presence in the area.

It is the second time this year that tourists have been caught up in a police operation in the city.

In April, more than 200 visitors were stranded for two hours at Morro Dois Irmaos, another of the city's iconic lookout points.

Rio welcomed more than 2.1 million international visitors in 2025, a historic record.

C.Lewis--SFF