Dortmund one-euro döner opening turns violent as crowd pelts police with objects

The offer and the crowd

On the afternoon of 8 November 2026, a newly opened döner shop in Dortmund's eastern city centre drew a large crowd after its operator promoted a special opening offer online. Reports put the deal at one euro per döner. Police estimate that about 300 people, many of them minors, came for the cheap kebab, while the operator wrote afterwards of more than 1,000 people on site. An earlier dpa report, citing a police spokeswoman, had put the number at about 250. The operator had hired a private security service, but the police spokeswoman said that service lost control of the situation and that officers had to step in.

Clashes and police response

When officers arrived, the police said they were hit with bottles, stones, pyrotechnics, an e-scooter and a chair, and a police car was damaged by stones. Dpa reported that a road had been blocked for a time. The officers then called in more units. Tagesschau described two riot police units (Hundertschaften) and a helicopter, while RP Online mentioned one riot police unit, so the reported number of units differs by source. A helicopter watched the situation from the air. Dpa also reported that nobody had been injured at the time of its report, that the situation calmed down quickly and that one person had been arrested.

Police president's response

Dortmund police president Tim Frommeyer condemned the violence against officers in a written statement, saying:

“Anyone who uses violence against police forces here, once again, is not an 'adventure-seeking youth' or a 'troublemaker', but a criminal offender.”

Frommeyer also linked the incident to a wider pattern at public events and gatherings:

“Events, or as recently gatherings, have for some time been taken over by people who are after nothing but violence.”

Investigation and open questions

During a search of a person who had resisted orders to leave the square, police found a blank-firing pistol (Schreckschusswaffe). Several criminal proceedings were opened, including for riot (Landfriedensbruch), property damage and insult. Police said the event was dissolved and that officers pushed the crowd into neighbouring streets while they search for people involved in the attacks. Whether the shop operator bears any responsibility for the police deployment is still being examined.