An influencer event in Paris promising free chicken meals ended in chaos after thousands of fans flooded the city center and clashes broke out with police.
The opening of a new Krousty Sabaidi restaurant in Châtelet-Les Halles was promoted by French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 3.4 million followers on Snapchat and nearly half a million on Instagram.
Fans were told the first 1,000 customers on Saturday would receive a free chicken and rice meal, along with the chance for 21 people to win tickets to the final of Salvatore’s Influence Games competition in the Dominican Republic.
Influencer meet up causes chaos at Paris sub station
Instead of hundreds, around 3,000 people arrived at the busy train station hub, overwhelming event organizers and police on site. Tensions quickly escalated as groups of youths clashed with officers, with projectiles thrown and police seen pushing crowds back in several viral clips from the event.
The Paris Police Commissioner’s Office posted a video of the unrest on X, writing: “The #Faressalvatore subscribers’ meetup for his #Influencegame concept turns into chaos. Clashes between youths and #FDO, atmosphere far from the influence game. Simply pathetic…”
Le Figaro reported that three people were taken into custody during the disorder.
Krousty Sabaidi, the Asian food chain where the event was set to take place, later issued a statement apologizing for the disruption. The chain said attendance had “far exceeded all our expectations,” forcing the cancellation of the event for safety reasons. They confirmed the 1,000 free meals would still be honored at a later date.
On Snapchat, Salvatore said he was glad the event was canceled amid safety concerns.
