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A gathering of thousands of Kai Cenat supporters in Manhattan's Union Square Park on Friday, August 4, rapidly escalated into a chaotic situation when thousands of young people descended on the area, wreaking mayhem, throwing objects at the police, and resulting in numerous arrests.
According to the police, the gathering was a result of Kai Cenat and another streamer, Fanum, announcing that they would distribute PlayStation 5 consoles at the park at 4 pm. The two are part of the streaming collective AMP, which has tons of YouTube and Twitch admirers. Many in the crowd on Friday were hoping to get free gaming consoles from the popular social media streamer, resulting in the unruly situation unfolding at the park.
Meanwhile, a video of Kai Cenat's New York supporters assaulting and robbing a 60-year-old's kiosk has now gone viral after it was posted on social media platforms like TikTok and Reddit.
Netizens were left enraged by the way youngsters in the crowd treated the old man. They took to Reddit and started commenting under u/sakamoto__'s post about the incident.
Netizens furious after video of Kai Cenat's supporters attacking an old man goes viral
As per NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, the mob at Union Square district swiftly grew from a few hundred to several thousand people in a matter of minutes.
According to the police, a flock of young people had gathered in the park around 3 pm. However, this group soon expanded "exponentially" and began to spill onto surrounding streets, obstructing pedestrians and drivers. At about 4 pm, people in the crowd began hurling objects such as rocks and bottles at one another. There were also fireworks and explosives.
A large group of individuals attacked a construction site. Another group resisted police officers carrying riot shields as they moved in to make arrests.
Of the numerous videos of the incident that have gone viral, one that has recently gained traction is that of a 60-year-old whose kiosk was robbed by the rioters. Social media users took to Reddit to express their disgust over the incident, and criticize the entire thing.
More than 60 rioters were arrested
To bring the situation under control, the police arrested dozens of individuals, including Kai Cenat, the live-streamer who organized the gathering and is now being charged with inciting a riot as well as unlawful assembly.
Authorities reportedly arrested a total of 65 people, after giving the crowd several chances to disperse peacefully. Officers transferred some of those arrested onto a city bus, which was attacked as others attempted to rescue those being hauled away.
