Why the police in Beijing had to take on an army of half-naked Spartans

A salad store paraded dozens of half-naked men dressed as Spartans through Beijing as a publicity stunt, causing a stir and drawing a crackdown by police who were photographed restraining some of them on the ground. About 40 mostly blond- and brown-haired men wearing bronze shorts, arm and leg guards and capes in the style of men from the ancient Greek city marched in the Chinese capital’s central business district and an upscale shopping area on Wednesday. Bearing plastic tubs of salads, the bare-chested men attracted crowds of onlookers and posed for photos with women that circulated widely on social media. Police were less amused, dispersing the parade at the Sanlitun shopping area, grappling with at least two of the Spartans who apparently had been wrestled to the ground.

We chose Spartans and invited foreign models who are physically fit simply because we wanted to encourage our customers to pursue the beauty of being healthy.

Sweetie Salad

Police said in a statement on Thursday that they had to control some “foreigners in short pants” to restore public order. It said the matter was still under investigation. The store, Sweetie Salad, said the stunt to celebrate its one-year anniversary generated far more interest than expected. It added in a statement posted online that store representatives spoke to police to clear up any misunderstanding. The incident follows another that drew attention from social media users and police — a home-made sex video purportedly taken in a Uniqlo fitting room, also in Sanlitun.

Odd News beijing