A PS5 contest by a Twitch streamer causes chaos in Union Square

Twitch streamers cause chaos with real-life giveaway in New York City, resulting in a riot and shutdown of lower Manhattan.

In a highly anticipated event, popular Twitch streamers Kai Cenat and Fanum organized a real-life stream and giveaway for their devoted fans. The Union Square in New York City was chosen as the venue, where they promised to distribute gift cards, gaming PC equipment, and even PlayStation 5s.

However, what was supposed to be an exciting and joyful gathering quickly turned into chaos as frenzied fans erupted into a riot over the giveaway, resulting in the shutdown of lower Manhattan.

Kai Cenat, with an impressive following of 6.5 million on Twitch and 4 million on YouTube, had initially advertised the New York City giveaway through now-deleted tweets. He joined forces with Fanum, who boasts 1.3 million followers on Twitch and 1.2 million on YouTube. The scheduled time for the stream was 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

Unfortunately, by 1:10 p.m., the police had to respond to a "large gathering" in the park, as reported by a spokesperson from the New York Police Department. The spokesperson revealed that "a couple thousand individuals" had swarmed the location. As the afternoon progressed, videos of the riot flooded social media platforms, showcasing fights breaking out among the crowd, with people even climbing vehicles and hurling traffic cones.

The chaos ultimately led to Cenat's stream being abruptly cut short. A clip on his Twitch channel captured the intense shoving and pushing within the crowd.

To handle the situation, approximately 1,000 police officers were deployed to the scene, ensuring the safety of the attendees. As of now, there have been no reported injuries, according to NBC New York. Cenat was eventually removed from the crowd and taken into police custody. However, the spokesperson could not confirm whether there were any additional arrests made during the incident.

The spokesperson did mention that the number of arrests may change, as the NYPD does not have concrete figures at the moment. Online videos claim that other creators were also apprehended amidst the riot.

During the turmoil, Cenat briefly went live on Instagram while inside a police car, urging the crowd to disperse and return home.

In light of the situation, the NYPD advised New Yorkers to avoid Union Square Park and its surrounding neighborhoods. They also cautioned about the presence of law enforcement in the area, which might cause traffic delays.

The public transit system was significantly impacted as well. The New York Transit Authority announced that eight subway lines would bypass the Union Square stop due to the ongoing police activity, urging commuters to seek alternate routes.

In the aftermath of the riot, Cenat initially posted a message to his followers expressing his love and appreciation for their support. However, he later deleted the Instagram story, which featured a photo of local news coverage of the riot, possibly due to the sensitive nature of the situation.

It is crucial for everyone involved to prioritize safety and ensure that such events are organized in a controlled and secure manner to avoid any potential risks or harm to the participants or the public.