Frenzy in Vienna as Paris arrives for ball

updated 9:36 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2007

VIENNA, Austria - Hundreds of shrieking, frenzied fans welcomed Paris Hilton as she made an appearance at a Vienna mall Thursday to sign autographs.

“Hello everybody, it’s so good to see you,” the 25-year-old hotel heiress/reality TV star cooed as the crowd went crazy. “Happy late Valentine’s Day!”

The session was cut short when several objects landed on the stage and Hilton was whisked away by security guards.

Richard Lugner, who is Hilton’s Vienna host, said the flying objects included cigarette packs, tissues and lipsticks. The 74-year-old married construction magnate invites a celebrity to the city’s prestigious Opera Ball each year. His previous guests include Geri Halliwell, Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra.

The Austria Press Agency reported that sheets of paper that floated onto the stage were fliers from a communist youth organization.

Hilton later dismissed the incident as “no big deal” and said she loved her fans, APA reported.

She ran into a problem in Munich, Germany, on Wednesday because her passport had expired. Susan McCaw, U.S. ambassador to Austria, had to vouch for her so she could enter the country, APA said.

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When asked what happened, Hilton replied: “Oh nothing, just my passport.”

Taking questions from some 100 reporters earlier, Hilton said she “loved” classical music and that she grew up listening to it.

“As a little girl, it really helped me fall asleep at night,” she said, adding later that she “really loved” old Michael Jackson songs, Madonna and hip-hop.

“As a celebrity, you can really make people aware of what’s going on in the world,” she said.

The Opera Ball, which was to be held Thursday night, draws about 4,500 well-heeled Austrian and foreign celebrities, dignitaries and socialites. Tickets often sell out months in advance.

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