Influencer faces charges of inciting a riot in NYC
Thousands of young followers caused mayhem with 65 arrested at Kai Cenat’s giveaway in Union Square
NEW YORK — Social media influencer Kai Cenat is facing charges of inciting a riot and promoting an unlawful gathering in New York City, after the online streamer drew thousands of his followers, many of them teenagers, with promises of giving away electronics, including a new PlayStation.
The event produced chaos, with dozens of people arrested — some jumping atop vehicles, hurling bottles and throwing punches.
Cenat was released early Saturday from police custody after being issued a desk appearance ticket, which police issue to require a suspect to appear in court to answer charges. A police spokesperson said he is to appear in court on Aug. 18.
The mayhem in New York City’s Union Square Friday afternoon put further focus on the hold social media influencers have on the people who follow and fawn over them.
“Our children cannot be raised by social media,” Mayor Eric Adams said Saturday during a press briefing on an unrelated crime.
Police said they arrested 65 people, including 30 juveniles. Several people were injured, including some with bloodied faces. At least four people were taken away in ambulances.
“I don’t think people realize the level of discipline that we showed to take a very dangerous, volatile situation and to be able to bring it to a level of resolve without any loss of life or any substantial damage to property and without young people harming themselves,” Adams said.
Cenat, 21, is a video creator with 6.5 million followers on the platform Twitch, where he regularly livestreams. He also boasts 4 million subscribers on
YouTube, where he posts daily life and comedy vlogs ranging from “Fake Hibachi Chef Prank!” to his most recent video, “I Rented Us Girlfriends In Japan!”
His 299 YouTube videos have amassed more than 276 million views among them. In December, he was crowned streamer of the year at the 12th annual Streamy Awards.
Media representatives for AMP, which represents Cenat and a small group of other influencers, said in an email Saturday that the Union Square event was intended to show appreciation to fans.
“We’ve hosted fan meet ups and video shoots in the past, but we’ve never experienced anything at the scale of what took place yesterday,” AMP said.
“We recognize that our audience and influence is growing, and with that comes greater responsibility,” the statement continued. “We are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct that affected innocent people and businesses, and do not condone that behavior.”