Thousands of people flocked to Union Square Park in Manhattan on Friday after two popular YouTube streamers, Kai Cenat and Fanum, announced that they would be giving away free game consoles. The event quickly turned chaotic, with the police estimating that several thousand young people had gathered in the area.
While most of the crowd remained peaceful, some individuals became unruly in their pursuit of the free video game consoles. The police responded to the situation and made an unknown number of arrests. Both officers and members of the crowd suffered injuries during the melee.
Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey described the scene as “uncontrolled” and stated that it took a while for the police to regain control of the situation. He expressed concern for the number of young people who were hurt during the chaos.
The streamers, Kai Carlo Cenat III and Fanum, are members of the popular streaming group AMP, which has a large following on YouTube and Twitch. Mr. Cenat’s YouTube channel alone has over 3.6 million followers.
The event was not planned with a city permit and came together spontaneously. The police became aware of the gathering through a social media post around 1:30 p.m., and by 3 p.m., the post had gone viral, attracting hordes of young people to the park and surrounding streets.
As the scheduled giveaway time approached, the crowd grew restless, and the police initiated a Level 4 mobilization, their highest-level response. Some individuals in the crowd began engaging in acts of violence, including storming a construction site and hurling building materials, rocks, and bottles at each other.
When the giveaway time came and went without the promised consoles being distributed, the chaos escalated. Water bottles, basketballs, a computer, and fireworks were thrown through the crowd. Some individuals pushed back against police officers, while others climbed onto cars stuck in the crowd.
The police gave multiple warnings for the crowd to disperse before making arrests. The total number of arrests is still being determined. Officers loaded some of those detained onto a city bus, which was attacked by people attempting to free those being taken away.
Mr. Cenat was taken to safety, and police officials are considering whether to file charges against him for “inciting a riot.” Chief Maddrey emphasized the power and danger of social media in organizing such events.
While some individuals in the crowd expressed disappointment and frustration, others found the chaotic scene amusing. One attendee, Josh Ortiz, said he came to the park to see the YouTube personalities and believed that the event was poorly planned. He also mentioned that some people in the crowd started “going crazy.”
As the chaos unfolded in the park, a large group of teenagers swarmed the entrance of a nearby Best Buy store, prompting workers to lock the doors.
The giveaway stunt by the YouTube streamers caused significant disruption and raised concerns about the potential dangers of social media events. The police are continuing to investigate the incident and determine the full extent of the arrests and injuries.
What challenges did the police face in handling the chaotic situation at the event
Soon as the announcement was made by popular YouTube streamers Kai Cenat and Fanum, thousands of people headed to Union Square Park in Manhattan on Friday. The duo had declared that they would be giving away free game consoles, which sparked a massive turnout. However, the event quickly turned chaotic, leading to arrests and injuries.
While the majority of the crowd remained peaceful, some individuals became unruly in their eagerness to obtain the free video game consoles. The police had to intervene, but it took them a while to regain control of the situation. During the melee, both officers and members of the crowd suffered injuries.
Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey described the scene as “uncontrolled” and expressed concern for the safety of the young people who were hurt during the chaos. He mentioned that it was challenging for the police to handle such a large gathering.
The streamers, Kai Carlo Cenat III and Fanum, are popular members of the streaming group AMP, with a significant following on YouTube and Twitch. Mr. Cenat’s YouTube channel alone boasts over 3.6 million followers.
It should be noted that the event was not planned with a city permit and came together spontaneously. The police became aware of the gathering through a social media post in the early afternoon, and within two hours, the post went viral, attracting a massive number of young people to the park and surrounding areas.
