German influencer Younes Zarou, who has 21 million followers, visits Bengaluru; announced Church Street meetup sparks chaos

BENGALURU: German influencer Younes Zarou, who has over 21 million followers on Instagram, was rescued by police in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening after a large crowd gathered around him during an unannounced visit to Church Street. Zarou had posted earlier in the day, “Church Street, we are coming,” which drew thousands of fans to the busy stretch. Police were alerted to the gathering and arrived at the scene to disperse the crowd, citing public safety concerns. DCP Hakay said they found it difficult to bring Zarou safely out of the crowd. "Around 4pm, we received a call at the police control room and immediately rushed to the spot. By then, around 2,000 people had gathered. We brought Zarou safely out of the crowd and allowed him to leave the place. No case has been registered," he told TOI. Zarou was taken in a police vehicle and later dropped off at another location after he assured officials he would not return to Church Street without proper permissions. The incident follows a similar episode earlier this year, when British singer Ed Sheeran was reportedly stopped from performing impromptu on Church Street due to the lack of official clearance.Who is Younes ZarouZarou, one of Germany’s most popular social media personalities rose to international fame through his distinctive illusion-based videos.Born on 2 January 1998 in Frankfurt am Main, Zarou grew up in nearby Flörsheim am Main as one of five siblings. His mother worked as a nurse, while his father ran a vehicle repair shop. He studied business informatics at the Provadis School of International Management and Technology before launching his TikTok account in 2019. Zarou has nearly 57 million followers on TikTok, making him one of the platform’s most-followed creators in Germany.