YouTube streamer Kai Cenat has been taken into police custody in New York City after a PlayStation 5 giveaway he staged in Union Square descended into violence, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed to NBC News on Friday.
At least 12 people were injured and “numerous” arrests made after a riot broke out in the park, police told the outlet.
Video of the chaos posted to social media shows thousands of people thronging the giveaway site. Some can be seen climbing on top of a subway entrance, while others throw fire extinguishers and police barricades at each other.
The giveaway, which Cenat announced in partnership with fellow streamer Fanum, was scheduled for 4pm. By 5pm, several NYPD officers were trying to disperse the unruly crowd, which numbered over 2,000 by their estimates.
A famous video game influencer known for streaming on Twitch is in custody after a giveaway event attracting thousands of young people sparked pandemonium in Manhattan's Union Square.
The Friday afternoon event advertised by Kai Cenat, one of the most popular streamers online, grew out of control well before its scheduled 4 p.m. start time. Police estimates suggest the crowd size eventually climbed to a "couple thousand people."
Cenat had told his online followers to come out to Union Square where he would be handing out free PlayStation consoles and gift cards, among other items.
What exactly turned the crowd unruly isn't quite clear, but by 3:30 p.m. people were seen chucking garbage at police and taking down barriers around the perimeter. Witnesses reported seeing others throwing chairs and bottles. One person had a bruise on his face and he said he was pushed to the ground.
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The commotion prompted the highest level of police mobilization by the NYPD. According to a spokesperson, the department called on an estimated one thousand officers to respond to the escalating situation.
Cenat was eventually pulled out from the massive crowd by police officers and seen speaking to several officials. A spokesperson confirmed the influencer was in custody but top brass later would not say whether he was facing criminal charges.
A few dozen others, however, were arrested during the NYPD's efforts to clear the park and maintain order. Initial estimates from the department were that 40 people had been cuffed
The NYPD was completely swarmed by teenage hooligans who rioted over the Kai Cenat giveaway in Union Square. pic.twitter.com/nrNYfoYAo6
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 4, 2023
Transit delays and traffic disruptions were reported due to the chaos. One group reportedly let off firecrackers in the park, leading to false reports that a shooting had taken place, and cops were pelted with objects, forcing them to take cover behind their cars and pieces of plywood, according to Eyewitness News.
BREAKING: NYPD is responding to large gathering of teens and young adults outside Union Square Park in Manhattan. Police tells everyone to avoid the area.
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 4, 2023
pic.twitter.com/fw1ByUQI5G
Cenat finally arrived and directed his ravenous supporters to a truck with a clear back door containing boxes labeled “PS5.” It is not known if these contained actual PlayStations, and Cenat had promised the giveaway would also include gaming PCs, gift cards, gaming chairs, and other coveted accessories.
Kai Cenat and Fanum caused a riot in NYC's Union Square after promising to distribute free PS5s, PCs, gift cards, etc.
— BoreCure (@CureBore) August 4, 2023
Hundreds of youngsters gathered, leading to fights.
The NYPD was on scene to disperse the crowd and warned of mass transit disruptions and traffic delays. pic.twitter.com/qZhbM2MpOE
Half the crowd reportedly rushed the truck, while the other half tailed his vehicle, which fled the scene after driving north alongside the park after multiple supporters climbed on top of it and one fell off.
“NYPD SUCK MY DICK”
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) August 4, 2023
pic.twitter.com/mKwPp6r0pU
The social media star, who has 5.5 million Instagram followers and broke Twitch’s record for most active subscribers in March, streamed himself reacting to the chaos he had caused, marveling “Everybody for themselves, it’s a war out there, man.” It was not clear when or where he had been taken into custody, nor whether he was actually under arrest.
The riot was apparently sparked in a frenzy to actually see the influencer, according to a witness who spoke to the Daily Mail. “One cluster of people would let out a yell and start cheering, then another group would do the same, people were swarming over to the group that yelled the loudest just to try and see this influencer,” the person said, adding that “People had little kids with them.”
"Individuals in the park began to commit acts of violence towards the police and the public," he said at a press conference. "Our officers were attacked. We were crushed, we were pushed."
Some people set off fireworks, while others wielded tools from a construction site, Maddrey said. It was not immediately clear what had sparked the chaos.
Video from TV news helicopters showed Cenat in a black SUV at one point, standing with his head through the moon roof, as people mobbed the vehicle. At least one person fell off the car as it drove away.
In a video posted Thursday, Cenat told his followers that the giveaway would include computers and Playstation 5 consoles.
Cenat, 21, has 6.5 million followers on Twitch and 4 million subscribers on YouTube. He was named "Streamer of the Year" in 2022 at the Streamy Awards.
The chaos was far from contained to just the plaza. The thousands of mostly young people in the crowd stretched into multiple streets, blocking E 14th Street and Broadway directly south of Union Square.
A number of cars attempting to pass by were swarmed by the overwhelming size of the group and forced to halt. Chopper video showed a handful of people in the crowd climbing on top of some of those cars as well as a food cart nearby.
Drivers faced significant delays during the evening rush hour, as did commuters on public transit. The MTA had trains completely passing the station below Union Square for about an hour. Regular service resumed shortly before 5 p.m.
Police issued warnings for people to avoid the area and stay clear of Union Square as they fought to regain control and disperse the thousands in attendance. Within two hours, police finally emptied the park and were focused on getting stragglers off nearby streets.
The ultimate toll of the chaos may not be known for several hours, including the extent of any damage and total number of arrests made. A handful of injuries were reported, but all appeared to be minor.
One young person who had initially attended the event told News 4 he decided to leave after feeling worried about his personal safety. But he and a friend turned back around, he said, because "it's not every day you see a famous person."
Who is Kai Cenat?
Kai Cenat, who police said organized the giveaway that led to the chaotic scene, is a Twitch streamer and YouTuber who has been making online content since 2018, when he was still in high school. He is known for having a large fanbase, and in Feb. 2023, became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, with more than 100,000 subscribers.
He’s won awards for his content, which includes videos of him doing various challenges, online pranks and more. In addition to those videos, he gained following for videos where he chatted with viewers on his Twitch channel, which he started in 2021.
While it didn’t appear that Friday’s stunt was a prank of any sort, he has done other prank videos like pretending to break his brother’s PlayStation 4 controller, or knocking on neighbors doors and running away — a video which became his first one to break a million.
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