Twitch streamer Kai Cenat broke his silence on Wednesday Chaos and riots at his recent giveaway event in NYC.
Cenat announced on Twitch that he will be giving away free video game consoles, headphones and other items to fans on Friday, August 4th in Union Square. Hundreds of fans got to the event early and the crowd quickly got out of hand before Cenat’s arrival.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said that the crowd had grown to “a few thousand people” by 4 p.m. Fans reportedly threw rubbish, tore down barricades, blocked traffic and caused chaos on the streets that afternoon. Video material showed They climb cars and hit them with objects. Accordingly, the NYPD called for 1,000 officers to intervene CBS News.
Cenat expressed himself for the first time since the draw in a Twitch live stream entitled “First stream since New York” and said he was “beyond disappointed in anyone who was disruptive that day”.
“Being from New York, my dream was to give back to the community that made me who I am. I want people to know that none of this was my intention,” he said. “I had good intentions in this whole thing. I cannot condone anything that happened that day.”
The incident resulted in 65 arrests, almost half of which were juveniles. CBS News reported. Some police officers and people in the crowd were also injured at the event. Cenat is in front of you Criminal charges and two administrative offencesincluding incitement to riot and unlawful assembly.
in one press conference That evening, an NYPD official said the riot “shows the power of social media and the danger of social media.”
Cenat is known for its streaming gameplays, prank and reaction videos. He has over 6.5 million Twitch subscribers and recently broke the record for most active subscribers after completing a 30-day live stream challenge.
The popular Twitch streamer had posted a video to promote the event a few days before the event, adding that it could get “riotous”. By the time that day came, the video had reportedly garnered 2 million views NBC News.
Cenat promised during his Live broadcast This week, next time to “get it right”.
He added, “Not only has it made me realize how much power and influence I have over people.”
Cenat is scheduled to appear in court on August 18.