A young individual recounted feeling ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘struggling to breathe’ during a bustling clothing giveaway in London that spiraled into chaos.
Thousands assembled in Carnaby Street after a promotional event by two trendy streetwear brands favored on Instagram and TikTok on Saturday.
This pop-up event, a collaboration between Up In Flames and Poser, only disclosed its precise location on Saturday morning.
However, in mere moments, a massive throng had surrounded the small van distributing free apparel, resulting in a crush that caused some individuals to faint or weep.
Sixteen-year-old Archie McNicol, who has attended similar pop-up events in the past, decided to take a chance on acquiring some free garments.
He shared with Metro that this particular event was ‘one of the most chaotic’ he had witnessed as the crowd became increasingly unruly, reacting to law enforcement attempting to calm the situation by chanting ‘f*** the feds’.
‘There were thousands of individuals flooding Carnaby Street and colliding into one another,’ Archie recounted.
‘I was perhaps five metres away from the van and felt overrun, I couldn’t shift, people were panicking, and numerous individuals were unconscious on the ground.
‘I could even hear fireworks erupting; I didn’t see anyone igniting them, but I heard blasts as people hurled their shoes and tossed water bottles.
‘Approximately five minutes in, police climbed atop the van attempting to disperse the crowd, but the brand’s principal message is “f*** the feds,” so when people are trying to grab free apparel while the police are intervening, it escalated into total disorder.
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‘Initially, I perceived it to be normal, but upon realizing that I was unable to escape the throng and was struggling to breathe, it was quite frightening. I attempted to navigate through the crowd to find an exit but was unable to shift them.
‘Once I finally managed to escape, I was alright, yet I witnessed people weeping and appeared quite distressed.’
Archie opted to make his way out once the chanting commenced and noticed customers in adjacent stores trapped inside as they couldn’t open the doors.
He observed multiple individuals who seemed oblivious about the free clothing promotion, yet they were drawn into the chaos by the massive crowd, eager to understand the situation.
The unfolding chaos escalated after the police’s intervention, with Archie noting that officers left at least one cruiser unattended nearby the crowd.
‘The police abandoned their vehicles, and around four or five youngsters climbed atop; they entered the car, seized helmets and jackets, and activated the sirens,’ he stated.
‘The police reaction was notably intense; they were attempting to disperse individuals, which I believe is not the appropriate method of handling such situations.
‘In cases of imminent danger, it makes sense, but leaving their police vehicle unsecured near large gatherings is guaranteed to lead to trouble.’
Speaking about the allure of pop-up clothing events, Archie mentioned that brands like Up In Flames and Poser are gaining traction on platforms like Instagram and TikTok among younger demographics.
He explained that these events serve as marketing strategies for their brands, noting that he observed individuals presumably filming material for social media.
He elaborated: ‘The streetwear movement is huge in the UK right now, and many young individuals are keen on it; these brands maintain a strong presence online, and the limited availability of their products makes them highly sought after.’
The Metropolitan Police stated: ‘Officers were alerted at 12:09hrs on Saturday, 22 February, following reports of a large crowd congregating in Soho due to a marketing stunt that had been promoted online.
‘During the occurrence, portions of the crowd caused damage to an unattended police vehicle.
‘Subsequently, officers arrested two minors under the age of 16 on charges of theft from a motor vehicle, criminal damage, and affray. They have since been released on bail as investigations continue.
‘A Section 35 Dispersal Order was enforced across the Westminster area for the remainder of the evening, and no additional related incidents were reported.’
The Metro has reached out to Up In Flames and Poser for their remarks
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