The event was sparked by a post on Instagram by 21-year-old Kai Cenat, inviting his fans to join him in lower Manhattan for a live-streamed gathering where he planned to distribute gifts, including PlayStation 5 game consoles.
Cenat had advertised a giveaway event on his Instagram, scheduled for 4 pm in the park. Fans began queuing up as early as 1:30 pm. As the clock struck 3 pm, the gathering had grown substantially and started becoming disorderly. Some young attendees leaving the park expressed that they had come with hopes of receiving a computer for livestreaming or a brand-new PlayStation.
Within a short period, thousands of young people, estimated to be at least 2,000 by US media, rapidly gathered in and around Union Square, eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of Cenat, whose immense following spans across platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, and others.
As the crowd grew, some young men started throwing objects from a nearby construction site, targeting both the people in the gathering and the police officers who were promptly dispatched to the scene.
Television footage and news images captured scenes of the rioters surrounding and obstructing vehicles, with some individuals resorting to kicking and damaging the cars.
Chief Jeffrey Maddrey of the New York City Police addressed the media during a press briefing and stated, “People were bleeding from their heads, from their faces … people were suffering out here. There were a lot of people, it was uncontrolled… a lot of young people got hurt.”
“We have encountered things like this before but never to this level of dangerousness,” Maddrey said.
Eventually, a thousand police officers were required to disperse the spontaneous assembly and restore order.
Multiple individuals were arrested in connection with the violent incidents, including Cenat, who was taken in for questioning but had not been officially detained at the time.
Kai Cenat, aged 21, boasts an impressive following of 6.5 million on Twitch and 4 million subscribers on YouTube, earning him the title of “Streamer of the Year” at the 2022 Streamy Awards.
With a total of 299 YouTube videos, his content has accumulated an astounding 276 million views. His contributions to the online community were recognized in December when he was honored with the “streamer of the year” title at the 12th annual Streamy Awards. Despite attempts to reach out to his publicist, management company, and business email address, there has been no immediate response.
(With inputs from agencies)