In the German city of Dortmund, a new kebab shop’s €1 döner kebab deal turned into a riot and large-scale police operation after hundreds of people arrived at the Food Lover restaurant at Körner Hellweg.
Within hours, private security could no longer handle the crowd, people in line began blocking traffic, and the owners called the police. When they arrived and tried to clear the area, officers found themselves under a hail of projectiles while a police helicopter circled the crowd overhead.
🇩🇪🔴 A €1 döner kebab deal in the German city of Dortmund turned into a riot after hundreds gathered.
When police tried to clear the area, they were pelted with rocks and bottles.
Police called reinforcements and a helicopter to control the crowds.
The New Germany. https://t.co/qnKBbH2Jlo
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 9, 2026The shop, part of a small chain run by Mustafa Hilal, advertised the deal on TikTok and Instagram, along with a free iPhone giveaway. The word got out and hundreds arrived on scene.
Estimates put the crowd at roughly 300 people, mostly teenagers. However, Hilal’s team later spoke of more than 1,000 people.
Hilal had hired private security and posted warnings on social media before the event started, “We expect a complete catastrophe. Please behave, listen to the security.”
When officers arrived and ordered the crowd to leave the scene via loudspeaker, some people on the line began to get violent. Officers were struck with stones, bottles, pyrotechnics, nitrous-oxide containers, a chair from outdoor seating, and even an e-scooter.
E-scooters were also used as makeshift barricades.
Police say one patrol car was damaged. A blank-firing pistol was later found in the backpack of one individual who refused to leave the area.
Video shows dozens of officers and police helicopters arriving on scene. No injuries were reported.
Dortmund’s police president, Tim Frommeyer, stated: “Events, or as recently assemblies, are increasingly being taken over by people who are interested in nothing other than violence. Anyone who uses violence, here once again against police officers, is not an ‘experience-oriented youth’ or being merely ‘chaotic,’ but a criminal. We consistently pursued these offenses on this day and will continue to do so.”
In response, the shop is no longer allowed to operate and officials are examining whether the owner can be held responsible for the disorder and the large-scale deployment of police officers. Running a police helicopter often costs thousands of euros per hour.
In a video posted to social media, Hilal apologized for the incident and condemned the violence.
