FOUR people who were beaten by police at Panorama semi-finals on Sunday intend to file complaints against the police through the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

They are claiming police brutality following the fracas at the North Stand, Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, during the semi-finals of the Panorama competition.

A number of others telephoned the PCA asking about the possibility of filing a complaint, an official of the Authority said yesterday.

A press release issued by the PCA said it was concerned about reports carried in the media of alleged police brutality at the event.

"We recognise the role of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) in the management of crowd control at these public events, to ensure the safety of citizenry. We also note the real threat posed to members of the Service from disgruntled patrons, who feel that their expectations have not been met by the promoters or organisers of these Carnival events. It must be noted, however, that the execution of these duties of these officers must be carried out within the parameters of the law," the release said

Asked for a comment yesterday, National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Patrick Arnold described Sunday's series of events as "unfortunate".

He also said left up to him, the Panorama competitions will be about pan and nothing else but pan.

Arnold said, "I remember last year there was something behind the North Stand and left up to me I would not have allowed that this year because, in my opinion, we have a show to run and you can't put on something else so close to your National Panorama semi-finals, because I recalled that last year Renegades was on the stage and you had problems with the music from the DJs, but now you went down to the 'Greens' and it still created a problem."

But Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz said yesterday his organisation is not to be blamed for the "fracas" which took place.

Diaz said he was not even aware of what was going on until he was called from the Grand Stand along with the Mayor of Port of Spain Louis Lee Sing and fire officials.

Diaz said, "We had the Northern Greens under control, yes, there were times when the noise level was too high but the DJs understood and took it down."

Diaz said it was a way to make revenue because his organisation has not been receiving any sponsorship.

"We have to find ways to be viable and this was one such way. The Northern Greens was proceeding without incident very well until that incident. Several other ministers and President George Maxwell Richards visited the Greens without any trouble."

The cost to party on the North Greens was $300 and an unofficial estimate for patrons on the Greens yesterday was 12,000.

On Sunday, the police used batons and their fists to beat patrons after hundreds of pan fans tried to push past barriers because they were blocked from walking between the North Stand and the Greens area.

Around 3.30 p.m., the access entrance to the Greens from the North Stand was blocked, preventing patrons from moving from one area to the other.

This year, the Panorama event co-ordinators attempted to separate the North Greens party area from the main event on the Big Stage.

This was done because of last year's problems with sound systems and DJs virtually drowning out the sound of the pan performances during the semi-finals.

There was limited access between the North Stand and the Greens yesterday as several hundred patrons walked across to the Greens to get food and join the lime which by 2 p.m. had swelled to thousands of people.

Police estimated the crowd at more than 40,000 in the Grand Stand, North Stand and Greens area.

More than 200 people gathered at the entrance and complained that they were not able to get to the Greens to meet their friends and family.

The crowd gradually grew angrier as police and National Carnival Commission (NCC) officials attempted to keep the crowd calm.

Around 4.30 p.m., a few people were allowed to go in and out of the Greens after a section of the protective temporary fence was moved to let them in.

Standing there was Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston "Gypsy" Peters.

People protested that those who knew people in the government were getting through while they could not.

Peters did not answer his cellphone yesterday when efforts were made to get his comment.

—with reporting by Gary Cardinez