Police in New York City detained an internet personality after his supposed video game console giveaway drew a crowd to Manhattan’s Union Square which devolved into chaos Friday.
Kai Cenat, who is known as an influencer on Twitch and YouTube platforms, was taken into custody, New York police said. Police were mulling possible criminal charges such as inciting a riot, Jeffrey Maddrey, the NYPD chief of department, said in the evening.
Officers struggled to control a crowd of thousands of people who gathered at Union Square purportedly because of Cenat.
Aerial TV news footage Friday showed a surging, tightly packed crowd climbing on vehicles, hurling chairs, throwing punches and scaling structures in the park. Shouting teenagers swung objects at car windows and ran through the streets.
Traffic was blocked by the crowd on several streets, with a large number of police officers trying to control the gathering. Some people climbed on top of a moving vehicle, falling off as it sped away. Shouting teenagers swung objects at car windows, threw paint cans and set off fire extinguishers. Others pounded on the side of a city bus. People could be seen climbing on top of another bus and jumping up and down.
By 5.30pm local time, police officers had regained control of much of the area, but small skirmishes were still breaking out, with young people knocking over barricades and throwing bottles and even a flowerpot at officers. Police were seen wrestling people to the ground and chasing them down the street.
There were some arrests and some injuries, including to officers, Maddrey said, without giving details or numbers.
The police chief also said a city bus filled with people who were arrested came under attack and more police had to be sent to protect it. Numerous people were seen in hand restraints, sitting on the sidewalks, and multiple young men were taken away in handcuffs.
On his Instagram feed, Cenat had an image promoting a giveaway at 4pm ET Friday in the park. Some young people leaving the park said they had come expecting a giveaway of a computer for livestreaming and a new PlayStation.
Skylark Jones, 19, and a friend had come to the area to see Cenat and try to get something from his giveaway, which they said was promoted as a chance to get gaming consoles or even a gaming chair, as well as an opportunity to see the popular streamer.
When they got there, the scene was already packed and they saw bottles being thrown by people in the crowd. There was a commotion even before Cenat appeared, they said.
“It was a movie,” Jones said. Police “came with riot shields, charging at people”.
A young man who would only give his name as Angel said he had been there since 11.30am. He said at one point, it was so crowded in the park that he feared he could not breathe, so he moved toward the periphery.
Cenat, 21, is a video creator with 6.5 million followers on Twitch, where he regularly livestreams. He also boasts 4 million subscribers on YouTube, where he posts videos about daily life and comedy. Titles include Fake Hibachi Chef Prank! to his most recent offering, I Rented Us Girlfriends In Japan!
His 299 YouTube videos have amassed more than 276m views among them. In December, he won recognition as streamer of the year at the 12th annual Streamy Awards.
Livestreaming on Twitch from a vehicle as the event gathered steam, Cenat displayed gift cards he planned to give away. Noting the crowd and police presence, he urged, “Everybody who’s out there, make sure y’all safe ... We’re not gonna do nothin’ until it’s safe.”
Eventually he and an entourage got out of the vehicle and hustled through an excited crowd to the park, where he was at the center of a cheering, shoving mob.
Maddrey said Cenat at some point in the afternoon was removed “for his safety” and police were in contact with him. Videos posted on social media and taken from news helicopters showed the streamer being lifted over a fence and out of the crowd and then placed in a police vehicle.
“We have encountered things like this before, but never to this level of dangerousness,” said Maddrey.
English (US)