In the front row behind the barrier, Thomas, phone in hand, does not want to miss the arrival of the two celebrities. On site from 10 a.m., he skipped classes for the occasion. “I love them,” says the high school student, between two jostles. The street was blocked and the Victor-Hugo parking lot invaded by fans. Quickly, a compact mass formed around the central artery. The meeting, organized by Footkorner and scheduled for 2 p.m., was to allow fans to obtain autographs and photographs of their idols. “It’s not going at all as planned,” whispers a security agent while trying to keep the crowd behind the barriers. The crowd is already trying to force entry to the store, even before the arrival of Dinos and Nasdas, while the youngest are escorted inside as a security measure.
“He’s like us”
While fans knock on the windows, forcing employees to lower the curtain, Najmddine, all smiles, impatiently waits to meet the influencer. “It’s a dream come true,” confides the 11-year-old boy. “At school, everyone looks at him on Snapchat, they’ll be jealous!” » The schoolboy recognizes himself in him. “He talks about life in the city, he is like us. » Nicknamed the “digital Robin Hood”, Nasdas is known for redistributing its income to its community and even sharing its banking details on social networks.
Fara, sunglasses on, takes photos with young fans. Member of the close circle of Nasdas, she regularly appears in his videos. “Our life is normal, and that’s what pleases us. We show that it is possible not to fall into bad deals. We open doors. » Followed by 1.7 million people on Snapchat, the influencer is not particularly impressed by the size of the crowd. “There, it’s still okay. In Paris, there were even more people. But it’s true that it’s not very pleasant to see people so wild. »
Overflows
Finally, the two celebrities, escorted by hooded men, manage – not without difficulty – to reach the store, causing further chaos outside. A procession of wounded young people is led to safety: one cries, another limps forward, while another arrives with a bloody lip. A young boy calls out to a Footkorner employee, telephone in hand: “My father wants to speak to an adult, he wants to know what is going on. » Through the window, Fatima scans the crowd. She is looking for her daughters, who remained outside. “They couldn’t get in. I don't know if they are okay or if they are injured. It’s dangerous, the organization is catastrophic,” adds the mother, worried.
“They couldn’t get in. I don't know if they're okay or if they're hurt.”
After a few minutes of photos and autographs, the two stars tried to leave the scene, but the crowd surrounded them, forcing them to try twice. As the taxi drives off, he pushes a young man and crushes his foot. A Footkorner employee says, annoyed: “There were injuries, telephone thefts, fights, damage in the street…” Two young girls, taken care of by the CHU, were also said to have been stung in the biceps and on the buttocks for one and on the back for the other. The investigation was entrusted to the Central Division's judicial support group. The employee specifies that the store had notified the municipal police and the town hall, but he fears the consequences. “From tomorrow, all the traders will fall on us. »