Popular social media influencer Kai Cenat has been charged with inciting a riot after a giveaway event he organized for video game consoles turned chaotic, resulting in violent clashes with the police in a New York City park.
The announcement of the giveaway drew thousands of people to Union Square park, leading to a frenzy that resulted in the arrest of 65 individuals, including 30 juveniles.
During the melee, both police officers and civilians suffered injuries, according to Jeffrey Maddrey, the highest-ranking uniformed officer of the New York Police Department, who spoke at a news conference late on Friday.
The situation escalated when some members of the crowd began throwing projectiles at the police, climbing onto the roof of a subway entrance, and jumping on top of cars. Kai Cenat, known for his live streams on Twitch and YouTube, also faces charges of unlawful assembly.
Authorities managed to restore some calm after evacuating Cenat from the park with the help of police officers.
In a video posted a day before the event, Cenat had informed his followers about the giveaway, which included computers and Playstation 5 consoles.
Kai Cenat, aged 21, boasts an impressive following of 6.5 million on Twitch and 4 million subscribers on YouTube. He was honored with the title of “Streamer of the Year” in 2022 at the Streamy Awards.
