Mexican flame eater is attacked by Mariachis and defends himself with fire

In this image from a video by Jorge Toscano, a flame eater (right) and a group of guitar-wielding mariachis fight in Morelia, Mexico, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Jorge Toscano via AP)

MORELIA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico’s often violent clashes between street performers reached new levels this week when a group of guitar-toting mariachis attacked a flame-eater.

What happened next was perhaps predictable.

According to surveillance camera footage obtained by The Associated Press, the mariachis in their white jackets initially appeared to be winning. They knocked the flame eater to the ground and kicked him onto the sidewalk in front of a taco restaurant called Hell.

The video then shows the mariachis – some with burning clothing – running away. The Flame Eater had doused her with a flammable liquid from a small can and set her on fire. The mariachis quickly took off their clothes or extinguished the flames. Nobody returned to the fight.

Because competition for tips is so fierce in Mexico, artists and windshield washers often stake out and defend lucrative street corners. Groups of street vendors in Mexico City often fight over territory with clubs and sometimes weapons.

It is unclear how the dispute began on Sunday in the town of Morelia, west of the capital. Police said in a statement that no one was arrested and only the flame-eater required treatment at a hospital.

Police said he told them he argued with the mariachis, who then attacked him.