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« on: April 27, 2006, 05:20:58 PM »
United States gangsta rapper Snoop Dogg, on his way to South Africa to perform in concerts in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London on Wednesday night after his entourage verbally abused and pushed police officers.
Tickets to his show in Durban on Saturday, scheduled for Saturday, were snapped up weeks ago. Although concert organisers Big Concerts, have sought to allay fears about his arrival in the country, he was on Wednesday hauled off his flight to South Africa.
Snoop was set to take part in The People's Celebration concert with newcomer Mario, ragga star Sean Paul and producer Pharell Williams.
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Top local acts were also expected to perform at the concerts in Johannesburg on Thursday night, Cape Town on Monday night and Durban.
Snoop was also expected to attend the South African premier of his film Boss 'n Up, which was released in the United States last year.
UK publication Online Sun reported on Thursday morning that Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, 34, was arrested on Wednesday night after an "amazing mini-riot" at the London airport.
Another media website, the Independent Online Edition, said the US star was held by police after a row broke out when his entourage, numbering dozens of people, was refused entry to the British Airways first-cla** lounge at the airport's terminal 1.
According to the reports, his party then threw bottles of whisky on to the floor and argued with staff at a duty-free shop.
Police rushed to the scene and tried to escort the group away from the shop when another fight broke out with some of his bodyguards, who attacked the police.
Airport staff said one of the bodyguards, who stood more than 2,15m tall, threw an officer across the room. Seven police officers received minor injuries, mainly cuts and bruises, and one suffered a fracture to the hand.
Other witnesses said the group became abusive and started pushing the officers.
The Sun quotes one witness as saying: "It was absolute chaos. There were 21 cops trying to calm down this huge group of rappers."
Several men, including Snoop Dogg, were arrested on charges of "violent disorder and affray".
The men, all US citizens, are being held at two West London police stations. Snoop and his group were due to board a flight to Johannesburg when the fight broke out.
Some witnesses said the rapper had tried to get many members of his group into the BA lounge but only a few of them had first-cla** tickets.
The super-star rapper grew up on the gang-infested streets of Long Beach, California and in 1993 was tried and acquitted of murder, the same year he found fame with the debut album Doggystyle.
Since then he has also become a movie star, appearing as Huggy Bear in the Starsky And Hutch remake
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