GenZ mob run riot for TikTok stunt and swarm police cars during ‘free pop-up’ by streetwear clothing brands
24 February 2025, 13:50
A mob of teens descended on central London over the weekend, jumping on police cars, attacking each other and storming shops as they attended a streetwear clothing pop-up.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Hundreds of teenagers caused chaos in Carnaby Street, Soho after seeing an advert for a “free pop-up” by streetwear brands Poser London and Up In Flames.
Shocking footage from the event shows crowds swarming a van as free clothes are thrown from it.
Things quickly took a turn for the worse when the teens swarmed the police vans in attendance, with one boy seemingly stealing a police officer’s jacket and wearing it as he jumped up and down on a car.
Chats of “f*** the feds” could be heard as the boys took control of the emergency vehicle.
Read more: Royal aide who accused Meghan of bullying stands by his claim as he speaks out for the first time
Scotland Yard confirmed the vehicle was damaged and contents from it had been stolen.
At least two boys under the age of sixteen have been arrested on suspicion of theft, criminal damage and affray.
One teen told the Metro he was “crushed” and “couldn’t breathe” as the mob of teenagers tried to get their hands on the free clothes.
Others posted on TikTok claiming boys were punching each other in a bid to get an item.
A Met spokesperson told LBC: “Police were called at 12:09hrs on Saturday, 22 February following reports of a large crowd gathering in Soho in relation to an apparent marketing stunt that had been advertised online.
“During the incident, some of the crowd caused damage to an unattended police vehicle. Officers have since arrested two boys under the age of 16, on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle, criminal damage and affray. They have been bailed whilst enquiries remain ongoing.
“A Section 35 Dispersal Order for the borough of Westminster was put in place throughout the evening and no further related issues were reported.”
Members of the public flooded social media with reactions to the scenes, with one X user writing: “What you're seeing in this video from London yesterday is the result of parental neglect, entitlement, and sheer stupidity fuelled by so-called ‘influencers’ who push reckless ideas - like giving away their tacky clothing lines (Poser X, Up In Flames, etc.)”
Another said: 'The police are now reaping what they sow. Well done for being so weak!”
While a third fumed: “Need to bring in the army and sort these animals out.”
Poser London and Up in Flames are both “anti-fast fashion” brands that have held a number of these free pop-ups in recent months.
This is the first to cause such shocking scenes.
