NEW YORK – Police are urging them to avoid Union Square in Manhattan as they try to contain the fallout from a social media influencer’s promised giveaway event for game consoles and other items.
A crowd of several hundred packed the immediate vicinity of Union Square on Friday afternoon for popular Twitch and YouTube influencer Kai Cenat’s event. The “HUGE GIVEAWAY” was scheduled for 4 p.m., but hundreds had already cornered the plaza by 3 p.m.
It’s still unclear what exactly caused the crowd to go euphoric, but by 3:30 p.m. people were throwing trash at police and tearing down barricades around the perimeter. Passing cars were surrounded by the swarm of people, some of whom stood on top of the vehicles
The NYPD estimates that “a couple thousand people” were in Union Square around 4 p.m.
As they work to bring the situation under control, the department has advised people to stay away from the area. Drivers should expect significant delays during the afternoon rush hour, and the MTA began bypassing the area.
