Pepper spray chaos erupts at Argentine cinema screening

Punches, kicks, and chemical irritants turned a routine movie night into a chaotic scene inside a shopping centre cinema in Paraná, Argentina. The disturbance occurred on Wednesday night, October 14, during a screening of the horror title Other Mommy.

The seat dispute origin

Roughly 50 attendees, including minors and senior citizens, were present when tensions flared. One woman entered the auditorium with companions and discovered their assigned seating was taken. Her request for the occupants to vacate triggered an immediate verbal confrontation.

Physical aggression followed quickly, with one participant grabbing another by the hair. Video footage captured shouts from the victim, who stated she had lost her hair to cancer and warned against pulling it out. A staff member attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the fighting persisted despite intervention.

Chemical attack and evacuation

As bystanders tried to separate the combatants, one woman deployed a canister of pepper spray. The aerosol filled the enclosed theater space, causing distress to numerous people uninvolved in the initial argument. This forced an abrupt halt to the film and required all patrons to evacuate the room.

The altercation did not end within the auditorium walls. Participants continued exchanging insults and accusations as they moved into the shopping centre’s corridors. Emergency responders arrived to treat individuals suffering from eye irritation and respiratory issues caused by the spray.

Police response and detentions

Reports indicate one woman sustained head injuries severe enough to require stitches following the assault. Sofía, a witness caught in the melee, described the moment the spray was used: “We all started coughing and our eyes began to sting, so we got out of the cinema and they stopped the film.” She noted the confusion among victims, unsure whether to wash their faces or leave them alone due to the burning sensation.

Law enforcement officers located a 51-year-old woman and her 27-year-old daughter in the facility’s parking lot. The pair, identified as participants in the brawl, were seated in a vehicle with a male companion, seemingly preparing to depart. Police confiscated the pepper spray canister linked to the incident, which held 60 cubic centimetres of the substance.

Both women were transported to a local court detention center and placed under the authority of judicial officials.