Several injured, 65 arrests, damage to property: This is how an influencer’s action in New York ended. 2000 young people had come to Manhattan in the belief that they would be given game consoles. But they were disappointed.
A gift drive announced by a 21-year-old influencer has sparked violent riots in New York. Kai Cenat, known from the streaming portal Twitch and Instagram, had announced a live event for Friday. According to media reports, at least 2,000 young people gathered in Union Square in Manhattan within a short period of time.
Some young people said they came expecting to receive a computer or game console. In fact, in a live stream on the Twitch platform, Cenat finally presented gift cards that he wanted to distribute among his fans.
Police officers fix young people on the street.
The situation on the ground quickly spiraled out of control. Screaming and screaming youths threw objects from a nearby construction site at cars, climbed onto buses, sprayed fire extinguishers and threw paint cans and bottles. Police used batons to push back the crowd. There were 65 arrests, including 30 juveniles, said Jeffrey Maddrey of the NYPD police department.
Injured officials and civilians
Several people were injured, including at least three police officers. Maddrey reported an officer who broke his hand. At least four civilians were taken away in ambulances, he said, adding that he saw scores of others with bleeding heads and other injuries. Ultimately, 1,000 police officers were needed to break up the impromptu meeting. Several people were arrested.
According to Maddrey, the influencer was taken away “for his safety” during the afternoon. Helicopter footage commissioned by TV news programs showed Cenat being lifted out of the crowd over a fence and into a police vehicle. The influencer has 6.5 million followers on Twitch, where he regularly livestreams, and four million subscribers on YouTube.
His contributions cover the categories of life support and comedy. In December, he was named “Streamer of the Year” at the 12th annual Streamy Awards. The police plan to indict him – among other things, for multiple incitement to riot.