UNRULY CROWDS
TWITCH streamer Kai Cenat has been charged with inciting a riot after sparking chaos in New York City when a crowd of 2,000 descended to the location of his PlayStation 5 giveaway.
Cenat announced the giveaway on his on Friday morning, asking his more than six million followers to meet him at Union Square in at 4pm for the freebies.
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Cenat has been officially charged in the incident, the NYPD announced late Friday evening.
"The influencer is going to be charged with at least two counts of inciting a riot, unlawful assembly and a few other charges," NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said during a second press conference.
He also confirmed that 65 people were arrested during the chaos - 30 of those individuals being minors.
A small crowd gathered around Union Square Plaza as early as 1pm, however, as the clock reached closer to 4pm, the group began to get rowdy.
The group, estimated at around 2,000 people, waited around the park area for Cenat to giveaway 300 consoles.
In a press conference held at 6pm, Maddrey said thousands gathered and cited the "power of social media."
"We went from 300 kids to a couple of thousand kids in minutes," he said.
"We have to be responsible when we sue this tool," he continued, referring to social media.
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Cenat reportedly walked free from a Manhattan precinct later on Friday night having been given a desk appearance ticket, according to .
Cenat briefly went live on his channel, posting a stream of him surrounded by a big crowd.
By 4.30pm, the New York City Department issued a level four mobilization, the highest level of disaster response in the city.
It's estimated that thousands of cops responded to the scene within 41 minutes once the level four mobilization was activated.
Shortly after the mass gathering descended into chaos, Cenat posted another video from inside a vehicle before getting out and still talking about handing out PlayStation consoles.
Police eventually pulled Cenat from the crowd and arrested him at about 5pm.
A city bus was loaded up with other people who had been arrested, according to Maddrey.
"We had young people attacking the bus. It was a very dangerous situation," Maddrey said.
"It was a very tough situation out here," Maddrey said later in the evening.
Numerous minor injuries have been reported, though none required hospitalization, according to NBC.
But Maddrey said he observed people bleeding from the head, experiencing panic and anxiety attacks, and more.
Video from the scene showed a throng of people running through the streets, and some were seen jumping on cars and a city bus.
The unruly crowd was seen tearing down construction barricades and hurling objects in the air.
One person was seen setting off a fire extinguisher, sending plumes of smoke over the group.
Fireworks were also reportedly set off during the chaotic event, Maddrey confirmed.
"Individuals in the park began to commit acts of violence towards the police. People broke into the park and began to throw articles at the construction site," Maddrey said.
"We had people walking around with shovels. Individuals were also lighting fireworks - they were throwing them towards police and towards each other."
Later in the evening, Maddrey confirmed that a 17-year-old was at Bellevue Hospital with an injury from a firework.
Footage from the scene showed multiple people climbing on top of a hot dog cart and throwing items into the crowd.
As a black van, which was believed to be carrying Cenat, attempted to leave the area, a large crowd stormed the vehicle, clinging to the sides and climbing on the roof.
Police advised drivers and pedestrians to avoid the area surrounding Union Square Plaza as they continue to clear the scene.
Officials continue to disburse the crowd north of Union Square, but due to the number of police cars on the scene, traffic is jammed in the area.
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NYC Mayor Eric Adams told at least 1,000 police officers responded to the scene.
Despite the mass gathering, Cenat did not give away any systems.
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