A group of male foreigners dressed as Spartans promote a newrestaurantproduct inBeijingon July 22. [Photo/Sina Weibo of Sina Entertainment Paparazzi] More photos

'Spartans' detained in Beijing for disturbing public order

Dozens of muscular male foreigners dressed as Spartans were briefly detained by Beijing police yesterday, accused of disturbing public order in Sanlitun, one of Beijing's hot hubs for entertainment,Beijing Youth Dailyreports.

Photos posted online showed a group of foreigners wearing Spartan-like jock straps and capes marching through the streets while holding small boxes of food in their hands. Lined up in a pyramid-like formation at times, they traveled around central Beijing to promote a new restaurant product in Guomao subway station, overhead bridges in Sanlitun and Jianwai SOHO in Beijng's CBD.

Passersby scrambled to take photos of the scantily dressed men when they first appeared on the street, and the volume of onlookers was deemed disturbing by authorities. Beijing police issued warnings and ordered them to stop, and those who failed to cooperate after several warnings were eventually escorted away.

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