People attack a car in New York on August 4, 2023, during riots during a surprise rally organized by streamer Kai Cenat. YUKI IWAMURA / AFP
It all started on Friday August 4 with a call, on Instagram, from the 21-year-old streamer, Kai Cenat, to meet him in the afternoon in lower Manhattan for a distribution, broadcast live on social networks, of gifts. , including computers or PlayStation 5 game consoles.
Thousands of young people – at least 2,000 according to American television – then gathered very quickly in the Union Square district, in the south of the island of Manhattan, in the hope of seeing the African-American star who has millions of followers on its platforms and social accounts.
Suddenly young men started throwing projectiles from a nearby construction site, targeting other people and the police, who were rapidly deployed in large numbers. Televisions showed individuals surrounding and blocking vehicles and climbing onto the roof of a black SUV.
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” Out of control “
“I have personally seen young people walking bleeding from the head and face, I have seen young people with panic attacks, anxiety and asthma (…) It was out of control”, New York City Police Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said during a very brief press briefing in the neighborhood. He also said a city bus full of people was attacked and police were sent to protect it. “We have encountered things like this before, but never at this level of dangerousness,” he judged. Three officers were injured, including a sergeant who broke his hand.
Plates and chairs are thrown in the street, in New York, on August 4, 2023. ALEXI J. ROSENFELD / AFP
“It took us a while to regain control and a lot of young people were injured”, including a teenager by the explosion of a firework, lamented the police officer. At the end of the day, a thousand police officers had managed to disperse the rally. Officers arrested 65 people, including 30 minors.
Mr Maddrey said Kai Cenat was taken for questioning at a police station. Police plan to charge the streamer with multiple counts, including “inciting a riot”, “unlawful assembly”, he said.
Kai Cenat regularly broadcasts live videos on the Twitch platform on which 6.5 million people follow him. He also has 4 million subscribers on YouTube, where he posts vlogs – video blogs – of daily life. His 299 YouTube videos have amassed over 276 million views. In December, he was crowned Streamer of the Year at the 12th Streamy Awards.
The streamer exfiltrated by the police
On his Instagram feed, the influencer had promised to distribute gifts at 4 p.m. (10 p.m. Paris time) in a Union Square park. People started lining up as early as 1:30 p.m. By 3 p.m. the crowd had grown and started to stir. 19-year-old Skylark Jones came to see friend Kai Cenat to try and get a present. When they arrived, the place was already crowded, bottles were flying, they explained. There was a stir even before Kai Cenat appeared, they added. The police “came with riot shields, charging people”Mr. Jones said.
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Broadcasting live on Twitch from a vehicle as the event gathered momentum, Kai Cenat showed off the gift cards he planned to give away. Noting the crowd and the police presence, he urged: “Everyone out there, make sure you are all safe. … We’re not going to do anything until it’s safe. »
Influencer Kai Cenat in the middle of the crowd, in New York, August 4, 2023. ALEXI J. ROSENFELD / AFP
Eventually, he and his entourage exited the vehicle and entered the park, where the social media star was surrounded by a cheering crowd. Mr. Maddrey said Kai Cenat was exfiltrated “for his safety” by the police.
“We are not against young people having fun, we are not against young people coming together, advanced the chief of the new york police. But it can’t be at this level where it’s dangerous. Many people were injured today. »
2023-08-05 02:14:03
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