Twitch streamer's giveaway event sparks chaos in Manhattan; police ...

A famous video game influencer known for streaming on Twitch is in custody after a giveaway event attracting thousands of young people sparked pandemonium in Manhattan's Union Square.

The Friday afternoon event advertised by Kai Cenat, one of the most popular streamers online, grew out of control well before its scheduled 4 p.m. time. Police estimates suggest the crowd size eventually climbed to a "couple thousand people."

Cenat had told his online followers to come out to Union Square where he would be handing out free PlayStation consoles and gift cards, among other items.

What exactly turned the crowd unruly isn't yet clear, but by 3:30 p.m. people were seen throwing garbage at police and taking down barriers around the perimeter. Witnesses reported seeing some people throwing chairs and bottles. One person had a bruise on his face and he said he was pushed to the ground.

The commotion prompted the highest level of police mobilization by the NYPD. According to a spokesperson, the department called on an estimated one thousand officers to respond to the escalating situation.

Cenat was eventually pulled out from the massive crowd by police officers and seen speaking several officials. A spokesperson confirmed the influencer and "numerous" other people were in custody as the crowd size started to shrink and many of the young people abandoned the park.

The chaos was far from contained to just the plaza. The thousands of mostly young people in the crowd stretched into multiple streets, blocking E 14th Street and Broadway directly south of Union Square.

A number of cars attempting to pass by were swarmed by the overwhelming size of the group and forced to a halt. Chopper video showed a handful of people in the crowd climbing on top of some of those cars as well as a food cart nearby.

Drivers faced significant delays during the evening rush hours, as did commuters on public transit. The MTA had trains completely passing the station below Union Square for about an hour. Regular service resumed shortly before 5 p.m.

Police issued warnings for people to avoid the area and stay clear of Union Square as they fought to regain control and disperse the thousands in attendance. Within two hours, police finally gained control and emptied the park.

The ultimate toll of the chaos may not be known for several hours, including the extent of any damage and total number of arrests made. A handful of injuries were reported, but all appeared to be minor.

One young person who had initially attended the event told News 4 he decided to leave after feeling worried about his personal safety. But he and a friend turned back around, he said, because "it's not every day you see a famous person."

Kai Cenat, who police said organized the giveaway that led to the chaotic scene, is a Twitch streamer and YouTuber who has been making online content since 2018, when he was still in high school. He is known for having a large fanbase, and in Feb. 2023, became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, with more than 100,000 subscribers.

He’s won awards for his content, which includes videos of him doing various challenges, online pranks and more. In addition to those videos, he gained following for videos where he chatted with viewers on his Twitch channel, which he started in 2021.

While it didn’t appear that Friday’s stunt was a prank of any sort, he has done other prank videos like pretending to break his brother’s PlayStation 4 controller, or knocking on neighbors doors and running away — a video which became his first one to break a million views.

A crowd of hundreds went wild at Union Square in Manhattan after a streamer hosted a giveaway. Police were trying to get the scene under control.