US YouTuber Kai Cenat organized a video games console giveaway event in New York’s Union Square, which quickly turned into mayhem.
Thousands of people gathered for free PlayStation 5 devices, leading to a rampage with bottles, stones, and paint thrown. The police plan to charge Mr. Cenat with multiple counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, and over 60 arrests were made.
The chaotic event began with Mr. Cenat’s social media announcement, attracting crowds to Union Square by 1:00 PM local time. As the crowd grew, the situation escalated, and the New York Police Department deployed roughly 1,000 officers in response.
After about an hour of turmoil, Mr. Cenat was taken into police custody, and the crowd was dispersed. The event had no permit, complicating matters for Mr. Cenat and the authorities.
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey expressed concern about the dangerousness of the situation. People were seen carrying dangerous tools, and fireworks were used as weapons.
Mr. Cenat previously made headlines for breaking the record for attracting the most Twitch subscribers.
-BBC-
