Riot police were forced to intervene in a fried chicken giveaway after 3,000 people turned up.
Krousty Sabaidi, an Asian fast-food chain, announced it was handing out 1,000 free meals of rice and fried chicken in order to celebrate the opening of its newest restaurant in Paris on Saturday.
The event was advertised online as marking “la rentree” – the end of the school holidays and Parisians’ return to their city after they leave to avoid tourists during the summer holidays.
It was done in partnership with Fares Salvatore, an influencer with nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram, and the Influence Games.
Riot police were called to contain the chaos which erupted on the streets
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According to police, the crowds were mainly made up of young people
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But the giveaway quickly got out of hand as 3,000 people descended on the scene, according to French police.
In a statement on social media, Krousty Sabaidi said: “The attendance far exceeded all our expectations, causing a massive influx and crowd movements in front of our establishment.”
After the crowds, which were mostly young people, were asked to disperse and the event was cancelled, chaos erupted.
Tear gas and security barriers were used by riot police – who were in turn pelted by projectiles.
GLOBAL UNREST – READ MORE:
The event was advertised on Krousty Sabaidi’s social media in partnership with influencer Fares Salvatore
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KROUSTY SABAIDI
According to the French news outlet Le Figaro, two people were arrested on site after they took the opportunity to commit snatch-and-grab robberies, and a third was taken into custody.
Paris Police Headquarters confirmed to the newspaper that a “compact crowd composed of a rather young public gathered outside a restaurant following the announcement of the arrival of an influencer in the establishment”.
Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner’s Office branded the unrest “pathetic” in a social media post.
Taking to social media, Krousty Sabaidi apologised for the situation, and explained the cancellation.
Krousty Sabaidi apologised on social media for the unrest caused, and thanked the police for their quick response
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KROUSTY SABAIDI
3,000 people turned up at the chain’s newest location
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KROUSTY SABAIDI
It said: “This moment was intended to be a time of sharing, joy and conviviality.”
The restaurant chain added: “For safety reasons and in strict compliance with the instructions imposed by the prefecture, we have to cancel the event.
“We would like to thank the security services and the police forces for their support and responsiveness.
“Thanks to their quick and coordinated action, the situation was able to be contained without major incident.”
A new date will be announced for the planned giveaway, which Krousty Sabaidi said it still promises to carry out.
