Chaos reigns in New York’s Union Square after riot over Playstation 5 giveaway organized by Twitch influencer
Streamer Kai Cenat indicated via Twitter at 2:00 p.m. Friday that the raffle was to be held at 3:30 p.m. in Union Square, but the situation got out of control and a riot squad was required
A violent day occurred this Friday afternoon in Union Square in New York City when around 1,000 children and teenagers gathered to participate in a raffle for a Playstation 5 and other accessories, which was organized by a Twitch influencer, who was taken into custody.
Streamer Kai Cenat, who has more than 20 million followers on that platform, indicated via Twitter at 2:00 p.m. Friday that the raffle was to be held at 3:30 p.m. in Union Square, which in addition to the PS5, would also be computers, microphones and other online gaming accessories.
In an announcement made last Wednesday on his broadcast, he said attendees could win the prizes if they answered random questions related to YouTube and streaming correctly. “If you get it right, ‘boom!’ you get a PS5, just like that,” Cenat exclaimed.
However, the situation got out of control, and chaos ensued, reaching the point where an NYPD spokesperson issued a ‘Level 4’ mobilization.
Over the loudspeakers, authorities warned the angry crowd: “This is an unlawful assembly. You are ordered to disperse,” but it took the presence of a riot squad.
In videos that have emerged on social networks, several people are shown throwing bottles at police officers, reported Fox News.
Also, several people could be seen during the incident climbing on top of a moving vehicle as it sped away from the area, while another group hit the side of a city bus.
In from Twitch footage on a live stream of Cenat, he was shown getting out of a van and running.
NYPD officials reported at a press conference that they are still working to determine the exact number of injured.
“I personally observed young men coming out with their heads bleeding from the head, bleeding from the face. I personally observed young people suffering from panic attacks, anxiety attacks, asthma attacks. People were suffering here. There were a lot of people, it was out of control, it took us a while to get it under control and a lot of young people were injured,” reported Jeffrey Maddrey, head of NYPD.
According to ABC NY, authorities recovered evidence showing that Cenat was out of his vehicle, interacting with the crowd before leaving in Union Square, and added that he is likely to face charges of inciting a riot, as well as other charges.