An influencer-promoted fried-chicken giveaway in central Paris on Saturday drew an estimated 3,000 people and erupted into disorder that required intervention by riot police, authorities and organisers said.
The giveaway, held to mark the opening of a Krousty Sabaidi restaurant in the Châtelet‑Les Halles district, had been publicised by social-media personality Fares Salvatore. Organisers planned to distribute 1,000 free portions of “krousty,” a rice-and-fried-chicken dish, but the crowd rapidly overflowed the area and the event was cancelled for public-safety reasons, police and the restaurant said.
Footage shared on social platforms showed large numbers of people surging through streets, with scuffles breaking out among some attendees. Police said groups of youths clashed with officers, and some in the crowd threw projectiles. Riot police used tear gas and erected security barriers in an effort to disperse the gathering.
The Paris police headquarters (PP) described the scene as "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." The force said roughly 3,000 people were present and that the event had no authorisation. "In view of the public order disturbance caused by a large crowd that the security agents were unable to manage, the organiser canceled the event," the police added.
Authorities detained several people on site. Le Figaro reported that two individuals were arrested on suspicion of using the chaos to commit snatch-and-grab robberies. Police also took three of the most aggressive attendees into custody. Officials said no injuries were reported.
Krousty Sabaidi posted a statement on TikTok thanking police for their response and asking for calm. The restaurant said it had planned a significant security presence but was overwhelmed by the turnout, and that it had cancelled the event "in a security concern and in the strict respect of the instructions imposed by the prefecture." The chain said it remained committed to honouring the promised giveaway at a later date and expressed gratitude to those who had waited on site.
Fares Salvatore, who has millions of followers on social platforms, had promoted the "back-to-school" event along with a troupe called Influence Games. Media reports noted Salvatore’s large online following; the restaurant and organisers said they had intended the promotion as a moment of "sharing, joy and conviviality."
The clashes drew political reaction on social media. Matthieu Valet, a former police officer and a member of the European Parliament for the National Rally, praised officers who "arrested thugs determined to fight, going so far as to throw projectiles and sow chaos in the streets," a post showed.
Paris authorities said they would review the incident with organisers to prevent a repeat. The prefecture and police routinely require authorisation for mass events in dense public areas; officials said the unexpected scale of the gathering and the public-order risks prompted the cancellation and the deployment of additional security units.