Plates are thrown near Chelsea as members of the NYPD respond to the disruptions caused by large crowds during a "giveaway" event hosted by popular Twitch live streamer Kai Cenat in Union Square and the surrounding area on August 4, 2023in New York City. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
A social media influencer was charged with inciting a riot after thousands of young people descended on New York’s Union Square, setting off fireworks and throwing bottles and other objects at the police.
The influencer, Kai Cenat, who attracted the crowd by announcing a giveaway of free video game consoles, was also charged with rioting and unlawful assembly, the New York City Police Department said Saturday. At least 66 people were arrested.
One 17-year-old was hospitalized by debris from exploded fireworks, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey for the NYPD said earlier at a news conference.
He said the disturbance began shortly after noon on Friday when Cenat, who has 6.5 million followers on Twitch, posted that he had free PlayStation consoles and other gifts.
Citing "the power of social media,” Maddrey said: "We went from 300 kids to a couple thousand kids in minutes - minutes.”
The fracas snarled traffic and temporarily suspended subway service. Maddrey said several police vehicles, including his own, were "destroyed.”
