Aerial footage broadcast on television showed a packed crowd running through the streets, scaling structures and blocking traffic.
Teenagers were smashing car windows, throwing cans of paint and setting off fire extinguishers. Some people have climbed on a moving vehicle, falling during a sudden movement.
By 5:30 p.m., police had regained control of much of the area, but small skirmishes were still breaking out. Police were seen knocking people to the ground and chasing them down the street.
Police planned to charge the influencer behind the rally, Kai Cenat, with inciting the riot. This was declared in the evening by the chief of the police of New York, Jeffrey Maddrey. Officers arrested 65 people, including 30 minors.
Several people were injured, including at least four who were transported by ambulance, Maddrey said, adding that he had seen others leave the area with bloody heads.
“People were in pain here,” Maddrey said, pointing out that he had seen people bleeding and having asthma and panic attacks.
Some motorists were trapped as people climbed onto the roof of their car.
Mr Maddrey added that several police vehicles were damaged, including his own.
Distribution of gifts
On his Instagram feed, Kai Cenat posted an image promoting a giveaway that was scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. in a park.
From 1:30 p.m., the first curious began to line up. By 3 p.m., the crowd had grown and was becoming unruly. Some young people encountered as they left the park mentioned that they expected to get a computer or a new PlayStation.
Kai Cenat, 21, is a video creator who has 6.5 million subscribers on the Twitch platform, where he regularly broadcasts live. He also has 4 million subscribers on YouTube, where he posts daily and comedic vlogs.
His 299 videos on YouTube have accumulated more than 276 million views.
Broadcasting live on Twitch from a vehicle as the event gathered momentum, the young influencer showed off the gift cards he planned to give away.
Noting the size of the crowds and the police presence, he urged: “Everyone out there, please make sure you are safe. We won’t do anything until it’s safe.”
Eventually, he and his entourage exited the vehicle and rushed through an excited crowd, crossed a street, and entered the park, where Kai Cenat was the center of a cheering crowd.
The police, however, forced the influencer to leave the park in the afternoon “for his safety”. Videos posted on social media and taken from news helicopters showed Mr Cenat being lifted over a fence and then placed in a police vehicle.
“We’ve seen gatherings like this before, but never at this level of danger,” Maddrey said.
2023-08-05 02:03:59
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