The police just got one Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest.
On Sunday, October 27, fans who organized the Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Competition and promoted it with posters throughout the city experienced several surprises at the event in New York City’s Washington Square Park.
According to reports from NBC New York, hundreds of people gathered at the park’s arch around 1 p.m., including fans dressed as the 28-year-old actor’s famous characters, such as Willy Wonka from Wonka and Bob Dylan from Chalamet’s upcoming biopic A complete unknown.
At one point, the Oscar nominee surprised the crowd during the unofficial competition, with video of his arrival captured by the Associated press and on fans on X He shows him waving, greeting fans and posing for photos as he makes his way through the crowd as fans scream.
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New York Police Department officers quickly arrived on the scene to try to disperse the crowd because they had gathered without a permit, NBC reported. A police spokesperson told the station that at least one person was arrested and summonses were issued a video shared by a participant in X claimed that the event organizer had been arrested.
In the video captured by AP, police can be heard sounding sirens and announcing through a megaphone: “You’re all getting summonses” to encourage the crowd to disperse.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Despite the police presence, attendees still tried to maintain their competition, and several lookalikes pushed their way through the crowd to prove they looked like Chalamet. A fan wearing a purple Willy Wonka costume was ultimately crowned the winner, although it is unknown whether they received the promised $50 grand prize.
This isn’t the only fan-oriented event in Manhattan that has been shut down by police in recent years.
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In August 2023, Twitch streamer Kai Cenat hosted a giveaway for fans with free computers, Playstation 5s, microphones, keyboards, webcams, gaming chairs, headphones and gift cards. Thousands of fans then gathered in Union Square Park, and the NYPD claimed the crowd became boisterous and at least three officers were injured.
Police added that 60 people were arrested, including 30 minors. After the incident, Cenat was initially charged with inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, but the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced in May that it had decided not to file charges against Cenat.
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