A Playstation giveaway promise by Twitch streamer Kai Cenat sparked a riot in Union Square in New York City, New York, on August 4, 2023, according to ABC News.
NBC News reported that Cenat is “in custody.” One video showed Cenat’s arrest.
ABC News reported that Cenat “was charged with at least two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly,” and 65 other people were arrested.
You can watch videos of the Union Square riot throughout this article. “Due to police activity, avoid the area surrounding Union Square Park & use alternate routes. Expect a police presence in the area and residual traffic delays,” New York police tweeted.
Kai Cenat has 6.5 million followers on his Twitch account. Cenat has 5.5 million followers on Instagram. Cenat posted a news story’s riot image to his Instagram story. NBC News called Cenat a “famous video game influencer.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Kai Censat Promised to Give People Playstations But Didn’t Do So, Reports Say
ABC News reported that Cenat promised to give away Playstations, but there weren’t any when people showed up.
ABC News reported that thousands of people showed up to New York City’s Union Square, only to discover there was no giveaway. However, the New York Post reported that Cenat “scheduled the real-world meet-up at 3:30 p.m. and planned to give away PS5s, computers, microphones and other gaming accessories.” He was surrounded by a crowd when he arrived at the scene, The Post reported.
New York Police responded to the scene as a melee erupted, with people running through the streets, jumping on cars and a bus and throwing plywood and other objects, ABC News reported.
However, The New York Post estimated the crowd at nearly 1,000 people.
One video appeared to show teens taking a UPS truck.
Videos Showed the Chaos In the Streets After the Kai Cenat Giveaway Twitch Claim
Videos showed hordes of people running through the streets.
Videos showed masses of people gathering.
The police riot squad responded to the scene, according to The New York Post. According to amNewYork, people, most of them teenagers, were seen “throwing paint cans, bottles, and anything they could get their hands on into the crowd. One man set off a fire extinguisher while another was walking around with a pickaxe.”
NBC News reported that police called 1,000 officers to the scene, and one young person had a bruised face. People threw chairs, according to NBC, which reported that multiple people were taken into custody.
Kai Cenat Has a 2023 Net Worth of at Least $9 Million, Reports Say
Cenat’s net worth is estimated at about $10 million, and he is said to earn about $3 million a year from his Twitch channel, according to Net Worth Club.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, which puts Cenat’s net worth at $9 million, he was born in New York City, and he started his social media influencer career on YouTube posting prank videos. At one point, he was banned from Twitch, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which reported that he initially aspired to be a comedian.
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