A French mayor has been accused of racism after cracking down on a chaotic halal chicken shop in a Parisian suburb.
Karim Bouamrane, who is the Socialist Party mayor of the Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine commune in the French capital, took aim at the local branch of the fast food restaurant after it opened earlier this month.
He accused the Master Poulet fast food chain branch of taking a toll on the community by making too much noise, as well as excessive crowding.
Now, ever since April 11, Mr Bouamrane, an emerging figure in his party, has locked horns with the halal shop - and even established concrete barricades to blockade access.
He said: "In Saint-Ouen, we refuse to allow a business to degrade the living conditions of local residents: late deliveries, sometimes as late as 2am, repeated noise pollution, and odours affecting those living above.
"The Mayor’s responsibility is to protect residents’ quality of life."
He continued: "I want everyone to have access to high-quality food, from a very young age.
"Our opponents advocate a vision that confines working-class neighbourhoods to a political, intellectual and social straitjacket.
The city politician even ordered the chain to be barricaded to restrict access - using flowerpots
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"We are taking the opposite approach: we want the best for our communities."
But the mayor has since been on the receiving end of furious backlash, with the city politician being accused of both racism and classism.
A member of parliament for Seine-Saint-Denis's 10th constituency Nadège Abomangoli said: "The relentless attacks against Master Poulet are utterly ludicrous, tinged with racism and class contempt.
"Let's remember that Karim Bouamrane is not a [right wing] National Rally mayor, but a Socialist Party mayor."
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Karim Bouamrane has been accused of racism over the legal battle
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The town hall has ordered an inspection to be conducted at the suburban shop a dozen times.
After a court ordered Mr Bouamrane to take away the blocks, he removed the concrete bollards with massive flowerpots. He claimed he was acting as part of the city's fight against "junk food".
Meanwhile, Master Poulet flaunted banners in protest against the commune's mayor, with one reading: "Karim, public money isn’t there to feed your ego."
Another asks: "How much are you prepared to spend on playing at being a sheriff?"
The battle between the council and the eatery has now reached the courts.
Another colleague of Ms Abomangoli said the attempt to remove the cheap restaurant was an attempt to gentrify the local area "with the idea of favouring shops offering prices that are not affordable for all".
Eric Coquerel added that it was an "abuse of power" to attempt to close the shop and called for the end of the mayoral "harassment".
Master Poulet restaurants sells whole roasted chickens for €7, drumsticks for as low as €1, making it far cheaper than the likes of American fast food chains McDonald's and Burger King.