The mayor of Saint-Ouen (a working-class suburb on the northern edge of Paris), Karim Bouamrane, has become embroiled in a public dispute with fast-food chain Master Poulet after attempting to block the opening of one of its outlets near his town hall — first by placing concrete blocks at the entrance, then, after a court ordered their removal, by substituting oversized flowerpots. The mayor, a rising figure in France's Socialist Party, cited concerns over "junk food," neighbourhood odours, and late-night deliveries, but the chain hit back with taunting banners and a flood of supportive social media posts hailing its affordable spicy chicken as "the people's chicken." The standoff has deepened an existing rift on the French left, drawing in hard-left France Insoumise lawmaker Éric Coquerel, who visited the shop in a show of solidarity and accused Bouamrane of "abuse of power" — highlighting a broader battle over class, diet, and gentrification in the suburbs that form the electoral heartland of Jean-Luc Mélenchon ahead of France's likely 2027 presidential race.