13 bizarre riots that started over everyday objects

You’d think people only riot over politics or sports. But no. Crowds have gone wild over hats & dolls, even jars of Nutella, creating the kind of trouble that forces officials to get involved.

Here are thirteen riots that started over everyday objects. Which one is the worst to you?

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Straw hat (1922)

In 1922, in New York City, people began tearing straw hats off those walking the streets because they continued wearing them after hat season had unofficially ended.

Fights erupted in Harlem & on bridges. They also emerged along the streets. Over eight days, the city saw arrests and injuries, with the mess becoming a genuine hat-war scandal.

Vinyl records (1979)

Promoters invited fans at Chicago’s Comiskey Park to bring disco records to blow up between games. It soon got out of hand.

Pretty quickly, dust & debris were everywhere, causing the field to get trashed, and even the police became involved. The second game was eventually called off.

Cabbage Patch Kids (1983)

Stores got overrun when the Cabbage Patch Kids craze hit. In Charleston, WV, 5,000 people caused chaos inside a department store, wrecking displays & shoving each other.

It actually got so bad that the police had to step in to restore order. All that drama for, quite literally, a kid’s doll.

“Tickle Me Elmo” (1996)

In 1996, a Canadian Walmart had 48 dolls for a midnight sale. There were 300 people outside chanting for Elmo.

When they finally got in, it turned into a mosh pit, with one poor employee getting knocked over & stomped on. It was so bad he ended up in the hospital with cracked ribs and a concussion.

Air Jordan XI “Concord” (2011)

Sneakerheads camped out in front of malls everywhere in December 2011 for the latest kicks. By sunrise, the Air Jordan XI “Concord” drop was more of a riot than a shoe sale.

Windows smashed & shoppers shoved each other, while police in several cities used pepper spray just to calm things down. A few were even stabbed trying to skip lines. It was that serious.

iPhone 4S (2012)

Outside Apple’s Beijing store, hundreds of people waited all night for the new iPhone 4S. But then the staff delayed opening. As such, the customers’ patience ran out, and they started throwing things everywhere.

Security was forced to lock the place down. It got so bad that Apple actually suspended in-person sales in parts of China. Who knew that people would get so desperate for a phone?

Nutella (2018)

French store chain Intermarché knocked 70% off Nutella in 2018. Shoppers went wild. Soon enough, people began grabbing jars straight out of each other’s hands, with some even climbing over displays just to reach the last few tubs.

This forced the police to be called. Apparently, France takes its chocolate spread very seriously.

Sugar and cooking oil (2011)

In Algeria, basic groceries became a source of drama after the price of sugar & cooking oil shot up overnight.

People hit the streets & rioters burned tires. They also smashed storefronts and clashed with police for several days, forcing the government to slash food taxes just to calm things down.

Onion (2010)

Onions are practically a necessity in India. So when prices tripled, tempers did too, leading to rioters raiding markets and blaming traders for their issues.

They dragged politicians into the outrage, and this meant the government scrapped import taxes & rushed in extra supplies. Nothing stings quite like an onion shortage in India, apparently.

Toilet paper (2013)

Most people remember the 2020 toilet paper shortages. But it was even worse in Venezuela in 2013.

Shortages were so bad that new shipments caused stampedes, with shoppers packing aisles shoulder-to-shoulder & clearing entire pallets in minutes. Bizarrely, officials actually imported millions of extra rolls to make up for the shortfall.

Cheese (1766)

Yes, cheese. In 1766, prices at Nottingham’s annual Goose Fair suddenly spiked, and the crowd wasn’t having it, so they chased off sellers.

They also rolled cheese wheels down the streets like bowling balls & some ended up dumped in the river. To scatter the mob, the authorities literally read the Riot Act.

Black Friday (2014)

Britain’s first real “Black Friday” was supposed to be fun. Instead, grocery stores across the country became wrestling rings packed with people shoving & shelves collapsing.

Police fielded dozens of emergency calls, targeting 15 stores in Manchester alone. By dawn, several shoppers were cuffed, and TV anchors referred to it as “America’s worst habit.”

Bread (2010)

The cost of bread quickly went up in Mozambique & people’s frustration spilled out fast. In Maputo and nearby towns, people poured into the streets, blocking roads & throwing stones.

Police had to fire rubber bullets and tear gas to push crowds back. Sadly, several people were killed & hundreds were hurt in the mayhem.

The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article: