Free Playstations, computers and microphones starting at 4pm. The influencer’s message on social media Kai Cenat, has wreaked havoc in New York. Thousands of people showed up at Union Square, the meeting place. The crowds and revolt – with people getting into cars, beatings and throwing bottles – that followed initially took the police by surprise, who then had to employ about a thousand officers to bring the situation under control.
“When the influencer arrived, those who were in the park started committing acts of violence against the public and the police,” said the New York Police Department chief, Jeff Maddrey. “At one point – he explained – we found ourselves in front of people armed with shovels, axes and other objects taken from the construction site, while someone launched rockets at the agents”.
According to rumors, dozens of people were arrested but the exact number is not clear, and there are also some minor injuries among both the police and the people who were in the area.
The arrested influencer
The police have arrested Kai Cenat and are not ruling out formally accusing him of “inciting riot”. Especially since he hadn’t asked for permits for the gathering which was therefore illegal. The New York City legal team is discussing what course to take.
A spokesperson for Cenat tried to play down the influencer’s role: “We are not against young people having fun, we are not against gatherings of young people, but this cannot be the way, because it becomes very dangerous. Several people are they’re bad.” But according to police Cenat played a major part in inciting chaos.
In the live broadcast on Twitch in which he launched the event, he promised to give away the electronic gadgets to anyone who correctly answered random questions. And just before the riots broke out, Cenat had taken a photo of the square and posted it on Instagram, thanking all the participants with a final message, which read: “Be careful”.
(reuters)
Millions of followers
The influencer has six and a half million followers on Twitch, more than four on Youtube, more than five on Instagram and boasts a record number of subscriptions with more than 300,000 people who paid in February to access his content. Since 2021, Twitch has banned the influencer from accessing the platform on various occasions and for various reasons, from threats to videos under the influence of drugs.
What happened “shows the power of social media,” said the NYPD, noting the speed with which Kai Cenat’s message spread online and with which thousands of people flocked to the meeting place.