16.09.2025 15:30
A free chicken and rice distribution organized by a fast-food restaurant in Paris turned chaotic due to a much larger turnout than expected. Riot police were called to the scene and had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. The Asian-origin Krousty Sabaidi chain had planned to distribute 1,000 free chicken and rice meals to celebrate the opening of its new branch.
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A free chicken and rice distribution organized by a fast-food restaurant in Paris turned chaotic as more people than expected showed up. Riot police were called to the scene and used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The Asian-origin Krousty Sabaidi chain had planned to distribute 1,000 free chicken and rice meals to celebrate the opening of its new branch in the French capital. The event, held near Châtelet-Les Halles on Saturday afternoon, was announced by influencer Fares Salvatore, who has around 500,000 followers on Instagram.
However, according to the French police, the situation got out of control when 3,000 people attended the event. As the crowd, mostly made up of young people, surged in front of the restaurant, the organizers had to cancel the event.
The restaurant stated on social media, "Attendance exceeded all our expectations, and there was a significant crowd in front of our business." When attendees were asked to disperse, the situation escalated.
Riot police intervened, and clashes occurred between the police and the crowd. Footage on social media showed people trying to get through the crowd and throwing objects at the police. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and set up security barriers.
During the chaos, two people were caught attempting to pickpocket, and a third person was detained. No injuries were reported.
The Paris Police Department confirmed that a "large crowd of young people" had gathered in front of the restaurant and described the events as "painful."
The Krousty Sabaidi restaurant apologized via TikTok: "The event we were going to hold today with influencer Fares Salvatore and his team at our restaurant was meant to be a celebration filled with sharing and joy. However, the public's interest exceeded our expectations, and we had to cancel the event for safety reasons. We thank the police and security teams for their quick intervention."
The restaurant announced that the planned distribution of 1,000 free meals would still take place and that a new date for the event would be announced.
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