Dortmund €1 kebab promotion ends in riot as crowd attacks police

A “one-euro kebab” promotion at a new bistro in the German city of Dortmund spiralled out of control. On Sunday afternoon hundreds of people turned up, many of them minors, and when police arrived, bottles, stones and fireworks were thrown at them. A police helicopter monitored the situation from the air.

According to Der Spiegel, the bistro owner said online that more than a thousand people had gathered outside, while police put the figure at around 300. The hired security staff could not cope with the crowd, and the owner had to call the police.

Stones, bottles and an electric scooter

When patrols reached the scene, people began throwing bottles, stones, fireworks, an electric scooter and even a chair at them, police said. Stones also damaged a police vehicle. Additional units were called in, a large contingent of officers joined the operation, and a helicopter kept watch from above.

Officers found a gas pistol on one of the people who ignored orders to leave the area.

Criminal cases and the police assessment

Police have opened several criminal cases, including for breach of the peace and damage to property. Whether the kebab shop owner bears any responsibility for what happened, and if so how much, is still being established.

Dortmund police chief Tim Frommeyer condemned the violence and stressed that it was not an isolated incident. In his words, various events and gatherings are increasingly being exploited by people who are interested solely in violence.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz