‘About five minutes in, police got on top of the van and tried to disperse it, but the brand’s main image is “f*** the feds” so when people are trying to get free clothes and the police are trying to stop it, it became complete chaos.
Describing the appeal of pop-up clothing giveaways, Archie said brands like Up In Flames and Poser have a growing social media presence amongst young people using Instagram and TikTok.
But within minutes, thousands of people had crowded around the small van handing out free clothes, creating a crush that led to some people passing out or crying.
The Metropolitan Police said: ‘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.
The situation became more chaotic after police arrived, with Archie claiming officers left at least one police car unlocked near the crowds.
