Chaos on Easter egg hunt as ‘parents steal eggs from children to give to own kids’

This one got really ‘hors de controle’.

An Easter egg hunt in Canada descended into chaos after parents and children breached a security fence and charged forwards to find the plastic eggs.

Some of those at the event accused other parents of stealing eggs from children to give to their own, and thousands of kids found no eggs at all.

The event, known as “Le Cocothon,” was held in the Montreal suburb of Laval.

About 3,000 people were expected at the event, but up to 10,000 are estimated to have turned up, many of them starting to queue more than two hours early. The numbers overwhelmed organisers when they pushed through a security fence and surged forward.

A camera crew from channel TVA captured the chaos.

(Footage of the event starts at 28 secs, with chaotic scenes from 53 secs.)

“It was clear that it was out of control,” one parent told a TVA reporter. “I got scared because I saw parents knocking children over, and I saw both parents and children rummaging in the baskets of younger participants who were able to pick up a few eggs.”

Organizer Angella Pattas, interviewed by Radio-Canada, described a “massive wave” of people with “catastrophic effects”. She later publicly apologised for the chaotic event.

Furious parents took to the Le Cocothon’s Facebook page to vent their anger and to demand the return of their $3.11 entry fee.

“It was inhuman,” said one post from parent Geneviève Raymond, who said she brought home her two-year-old “in crisis” after he failed to track down any eggs.

**’hors de controle’ = ‘out of control’, of course

HT: National Post