Influencer giveaway event turns chaotic, police use water cannon

brussels - A giveaway event organized by influencers in Brussels turned chaotic as police had to use a water cannon to disperse the crowd gathered at Atomium monument.

The Belgian police used a water cannon on Monday evening at the Atomium monument in Brussels as around a thousand young people had assembled there following announcements by two influencers to give away free stuff.

According to the police, there were about a thousand people present around 6:30 pm. The influencers Hachemi (HMI) and IbraTV arrived in a bus around 7 pm. While waiting for the bus, fireworks were set off and officers were attacked, the police reported. Videos on social media show the influencers also setting off fireworks.

When the bus arrived, the crowd surrounded the vehicle. Police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere told VRT News that the atmosphere at that moment became 'tense' with demands to distribute gifts and threats to cause damage. As the bus departed towards Houba de Strooperlaan, a large crowd followed the vehicle. 'To get the situation under control and clear the way, the water cannon was used,' Van de Keere said.

Hachemi (HMI) and IbraTV both have millions of followers on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Last weekend, the duo brought their bus to the French city of Lille for a similar event where police also had to intervene.