An angry crowd has hurled missiles and tipped over a vehicle near the Eiffel Tower in Paris after a company promised a massive cash giveaway but then failed to deliver, police said.
Trouble flared among the crowd of around 7000 people when they realised the internet company Rentabiliweb were not going ahead with the publicity stunt to give away some $64,000.
Police arrested around 10 people and nine were remanded in custody as anger erupted in the shadow of the Paris landmark.
Metal barriers were erected in an attempt to contain the crowd but people clambered over them. Angry youths also hurled missiles at police.
The police said they had asked the company to call off the giveaway after the swelling crowd became dangerous and caused traffic problems in the area.
"We realised that it would be difficult to ensure security," said Jean-Baptiste Descroix-Vernier, chairman of the company which also runs the website Mailorama.fr.
"Therefore I decided to cancel all distribution of money to the public for now," he said, adding the money would be given to charity.
The French interior ministry said it would lodge a formal complaint over the botched publicity stunt.
Gerard, a Parisian in his 40s who had turned up to get his hands on the free cash, wondered "if it wasn't actually a hoax."
"What is certain, is that they have got a lot of advertising from it," he added.
Rentabiliweb announced with great fanfare last month that it planned to give away the huge sum in 5000 pouches containing a bank note of between $7 and $799 each.
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