A Twitch influencer’s giveaway in Manhattan quickly morphed into mayhem Friday as thousands of his young fans mobbed Union Square Park — assaulting cops, smashing cars and screaming “F—k the PD” in a wild, nearly three-hour scene.
Gamer Kai Cenat, who has over 20 million Twitch followers, planned to give away PlayStation 5s, computers, microphones and other gaming accessories at the real-life meet-up scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
The location of the mass gathering wasn’t announced until just before Cenat arrived at the park and a permit was never obtained, officials said.
Videos show the 21-year-old livestreamer getting hyped up with his crew in his party bus before he heads to the park — where he’s immediately mobbed by thousands of cheering fans.
Within half an hour, the crowd of a “couple thousand” turned violent, with rioters tossing cones, bottles, rocks and brawling with each other — and NYPD whisking Cenat out of the area for his safety, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.
“[The] NYPD became aware at about 1:30 p.m of a crowd forming in Union Square. It was quickly determined that an influencer was posting on social media about showing up to Union Square. He was encouraging all of his followers to come to the park,” Maddrey said at a press conference late Friday afternoon.
Read more at https://nypost.com/2023/08/04/twitch-influencer-kai-cenats-giveaway-causes-riot-in-nycs-union-square/
#unionsquare #kaicenat #riot
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