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Police called during free burger giveaway on College Green
A free burger giveaway descended into farce on Wednesday lunchtime as hundreds of people turned up on College Green and almost as many left empty-handed.
The giveaway had been organised by Deliveroo to mark their fourth anniversary in Bristol, with burgers provided by Oowee Diner of North Street in Bedminster and Picton Street in Montpelier.
But demand far outstripped supply, delivery riders were mobbed when they did arrive and police had to be called to cope with the hungry hoards.
is needed now More than ever
Oowee co-owner Charlie Watson arrived by car with more burgers, which the police on duty helped him hand out to the crowds.
Photographer Colin Moody happened to be walking by College Green when he saw the commotion.
“I have never seen people move so fast when a Deliveroo driver or three appeared,” he told Bristol24/7. “It was hard to tell. They were mobbed. Some shouting, ‘get me one’ from the back.”
Colin added: “The police turned up in three squad cars and then, after they set up a cordon of a few officers round the deliveries that came in spurts, they assisted in handing out the burgers.
“It was surreal. Arms thrust in to the mix hoping to get one.
“But the star for me was this one woman police office who was clearly not best impressed by the whole situation. Her body language says it all.”
“Join the police, they said”
As people dispersed, Colin said that a hardy few remained in the forlorn hope that more burgers might be arriving.
“But after a while there was no more,” Colin said. “Apart from a few of the litter police making a killing with on the spot fines for litter.”
Oowee co-owner Verity Foss told the Bristol Post that she “had no idea there was going to be such a big response”.
“I’m feeling pretty mixed about it,” Verity said. “It was pretty scary to be honest and overwhelming seeing so many people waiting for the burgers.
“I think the reason so many turned out is simply because we’ve made a name for ourselves by making massive, cheesy dirty burgers and we do them well.
“We gave away about 300 in total and they all went pretty quickly to say the least. I feel like it’s good PR for us but yeah, it was pretty scary watching that stampede of people.”
Photos by Colin Moody
Read more: Oowee opens vegan-only restaurant and takeaway on Baldwin Street
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