New York City: Following the announcement of a chaotic "giveaway" event by a well-known live streamer, thousands of people flooded Union Square in New York and the nearby streets on Friday. Police had to intervene to control the crowd.
Kai Cenat, a live streamer best known for his YouTube videos and live streams on the gaming website Twitch, sponsored the event. On his Instagram account, he had previously advertised a "huge giveaway" scheduled for 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT).
Aerial TV news footage from Friday showed a surging, tightly packed crowd scaling park structures, throwing chairs, punches, and climbing on vehicles. Teenagers shouted, swung objects at oncoming cars, and ran through the streets.
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The crowd blocked several streets' traffic. Police were seen in increasing numbers attempting to contain the crowd. Some people attempted to climb onto a moving vehicle, but as it sped away, they fell off. Others banged on a city bus' side. People could be seen jumping up and down while atop another bus.
There was no immediate word from the NYPD regarding injuries or arrests. Many people could be seen sitting on the pavements while being restrained by their hands. In an effort to control the crowd, which occasionally broke out in a run, police were forming lines in the street.
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The streamer Kai Cenat advertised a giveaway in the park on Friday at 4 p.m. on his Instagram page. As they were leaving the park, some young people claimed they had come anticipating a giveaway of a new PlayStation and a computer for livestreaming.
The 21-year-old video creator Cenat regularly broadcasts live on the Twitch platform, where he has 6.5 million followers. Additionally, he has 4 million subscribers on YouTube, where he regularly uploads comedic and everyday life vlogs like "Fake Hibachi Chef Prank!" and "I Rented Us Girlfriends In Japan!"
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More than 276 million people have watched his 299 YouTube videos overall. He won the title of streamer of the year in December at the 12th annual Streamy Awards. His publicist, management firm, and email address for business inquiries did not promptly respond to messages.
Police were trying to push the crowd back with metal barricades while also announcing over loudspeakers that the gathering was illegal. You have been told to disperse