Reality star Kim Kardashian brought out screaming fans, angry Muslim hard-liners and police on Saturday (December 1) when she visited Bahrain to launch a milkshake franchise, witnesses said.
About 100 people demonstrated with banners outside The Walk Bahrain, an upscale mall near the capital, after some tried to block the visit.
Thousands of fans, who had paid up to 500 Bahraini dinars ($1,360) a ticket, broke into hysterical screams as the 32-year-old launched the Millions of Milkshakes franchise.
Witnesses said police dispersed the demonstrators with stun grenades as the inauguration proceeded inside.
Kardashian stirred controversy even before she arrived in Bahrain from Kuwait, where she opened another store last week.
Hard-line Sunni Muslim’s presented a motion to parliament calling her "an actress with an extremely bad reputation", according to Bahrain's English language Gulf Daily News.
The assembly did not vote on the motion, the newspaper said.
Many Kardashian fans tweeted their displeasure, saying the "MPs should focus their time on solving key political, economic and social issues", the newspaper reported.
Bahrain is trying to overcome nearly two years of unrest among its majority Shi'ite Muslims demanding political reforms and equality with the Sunni Muslims who rule the kingdom.
