Gang violence breaks out during screenings of Blue Story and Frozen 2

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Everyone knows that Disney's FROZEN serves as a metaphor for letting go of emotions that have been bottled up inside, but recently a group of teenagers in the UK have taken the film's message way too far.

Word has come down the wire that a mass brawl broke out between teenagers during a screening BLUE STORY, a newly-released crime-drama that revolves around real-life gangland violence in the UK. As a byproduct of the battle, those waiting for a screening of FROZEN 2 were also affected by the horrific scene. According to ongoing reports, the battle consisted of up to 100 teenagers wielding weapons, including knives and machetes, as parents lined up to enjoy Disney's latest animated money-maker at Star City in Birmingham, England.

"Dozens of officers were sent to the complex after a 999 call just after 5:30pm reporting a group of youths with machetes," a representative for West Midlands Police told The Independant. "Two machetes were seized during the trouble, which saw pockets of fighting and seven police officers left with minor injuries as they dealt with the crowds in and around the cinema."

Upon hearing about the brawl, armed police officers rushed to the scene and were given orders to use force when necessary. As per the order, officers had tasers at the ready when looking to quell any "very hostile response" thrust upon them. According to reports, several officers had experienced facial injuries as a result of knife wounds.

A witness to the clash by the name of Rachel Allison told the Press Association, "The police told everyone to leave the cinema as they held Taser guns in their hands and started to bring in guard dogs. I spoke to a policeman who told me it is unclear whether the kids had weapons and also stated when kids fight they bring their group of friends."

Another patron of the theater who was waiting to attend a screening of FROZEN 2 with her daughter wrote on Twitter: "There was a fight in the cinema … group of girls on one girl and it all escalated. The group ran into the cinema rooms to hide and a lot of police turned up. Has to be one of the scariest experiences of my life, so sad all the little children were there."

In accordance with Deadline's report, an officer at the scene explained, “This was a major outbreak of trouble which left families who were just trying to enjoy a night out at the cinema understandably frightened. We worked quickly to move the crowds on, but were met with a very hostile response and officers had to draw Tasers to restore order. It’s clear that some of those who went to Star City were intent on causing trouble.”

Following the brawl, Vue cinemas had moved to ban BLUE STORY from screening at 91 outlets across the UK. Described as a hard-hitting crime-drama, BLUE STORY tells the tale of two friends who become rivals in a vicious London gangland war. Since the film's Friday release, BLUE STORY has been showered with praise for its outstanding performances and gripping depictions of real-life drama.

Not long after Vue pulled the film from theaters, they'd decided to reinstate BLUE STORY with "increased security protocols" in place. Here's the latest on the matter:

“We took the decision to temporarily suspend screenings of Blue Story to enable us to assess the situation. After careful consideration and discussions with the distributor in the last 24 hours, we have come up with a plan to re-instate screenings of the film supported with increased security protocols and will be doing so from this evening. We want to reassure our guests that their safety – and that of our staff members – is our absolute priority.”

In what we know so far, five teenagers have been arrested in relation to the violent scene. A 13-year-old girl, a boy and girl (both aged 14), and a 19-year-old male were held on suspicion of assaulting police officers.

This is undoubtedly a sad story that reflects real-life violence that can occur anywhere and at anytime. Can't we all just get along? Obviously not, but let's try to leave innocents out of the equation, yeah? Maybe pick a better venue for your machete brawl if you really have to have one. It's my hope that no children (or their parents) were harmed in the scuffle, and that the officers who were injured during the brawl receive swift help for the damage done. Stay safe out there, folks.