Kai Cenat, a social media celebrity, has been charged with inciting a riot and illegal assembly after a giveaway in New York City's Union Square drew hundreds of people and resulted in scores of arrests and injuries to police officers.
Cenat has over 4 million YouTube subscribers, 6.5 million on Twitch, and over 5 million Instagram followers. He had a huge giveaway on Friday, August 4, at 4:00 PM local time at Union Square Park, which he announced two days prior via Twitch Live.
During the livestream, he revealed that a truck would be parked in Union Square, handing out free laptops, PS5s, mics, keyboards, cameras, gaming seats, headphones, and gift cards. It was something he felt New York deserved, and he emphasized this.
Giveaway Mayhem at Union Square
People gather around and cheer for Kai Cenat (C) as members of the NYPD respond to thousands of people gathered for a "giveaway" event announced by popular Twitch live streamer Kai Cenat in Union Square and the surrounding area on August 4, 2023 in New York City.
At one of two Friday press conferences, New York City Police Department (NYPD) chief Jeffrey Maddrey indicated that people started congregating in the park at about 3:00 PM. He saw that the park and streets next to it quickly became clogged with people, causing problems for both drivers and pedestrians. "We went from 300 kids to a couple of thousands of kids in minutes," he remarked at the second briefing.
In a report by CNN, the NYPD activated its highest disaster response level, known as Level 4, due to the crowds.
According to Maddrey, violent actions committed by parkgoers against law enforcement and bystanders escalated as the crowd size increased. Reportedly, a few people at the event stole items from a neighboring building site.
"You had people walking around with shovels, axes, and other tools from the construction ... Individuals were also lighting fireworks, throwing them towards the police, they were throwing them towards each other," he stated.
For safety reasons, the cops took Cenat away from the area. Maddrey said the event was deemed illegal because the Twitch streamer had not notified authorities or gotten the necessary authorization.
Cenat's representatives, AMP Group, said they "are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct" on Friday.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press meeting on Saturday, August 5, that outside influencers may have attempted to escalate the situation.
A gathering that could have turned really ugly, according to the mayor, is not a police concern. "This is a parenting issue," he said.
Some parents showed up to the park looking for their kids, but Maddrey said he wishes more parents had been out to assist in controlling the unruly mob. He said that many cops were hurt, and quite a few individuals were detained as they sought to disperse the crowds.
Maddrey confirmed that police had detained 65 persons, 30 of them were minors. The chief said that Cenat was charged with two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly.
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