NY. New York police are struggling to control a crowd of thousands who gathered in Union Square in Manhattan for an event where an internet personality would give away a video game console.
Aerial television news footage on Friday showed crowds jumping on vehicles, throwing chairs, punching and scaling structures in the park. Teenagers screamed and threw objects through car windows and ran through the streets.
The crowd blocked traffic on several streets. An increasing number of policemen could be seen trying to control the concentration. Some people got into a moving vehicle and fell as it drove away. Others struck the side of a city bus. People were also seen getting on another bus and jumping.
The police used metal barricades to push back the crowd, and through a megaphone warned that “this assembly is illegal. They are ordered to disperse.” The New York police have not provided information on injuries or arrests. Numerous people with their hands tied could be seen sitting on the sidewalks. The police formed lines in the street, trying to direct the crowd, which from time to time broke into a run.
On his Instagram feed, streamer Kai Cenat had an image promoting a contest to be held at 4:00 p.m. Friday in the park. Some youngsters leaving the park said they had come expecting the contest for a live streaming computer and a new PlayStation.
Skylark Jones, 19, and a friend had come to the venue to see Cenat and try to win a prize in the contest, which they said was advertised as a chance to win video game consoles or even a video game chair, as well as a chance to see the popular streamer.
When they got there, the place was already packed, and they saw how people were throwing bottles. There was a riot even before Cenat showed up, they said.
“It was out of a movie,” Jones said. The police “arrived with riot shields, charging at the people.”
A young man who only wanted to give his name, Angel, said he had been there since 11:30. He recounted that, at one point, there were so many people in the park that he feared he could not breathe, so he moved to the periphery.
Cenat, 21, is a video creator with 6.5 million followers on the Twitch platform, where he regularly broadcasts live. He also has 4 million subscribers on YouTube, where he posts comedy and everyday life vlogs.
Among his 299 YouTube videos, he has amassed more than 276 million views. In December he was awarded the streamer of the year award at the 12th Annual Streamy Awards. Messages sent to his publicist, to the company that represents him and to his email address for business inquiries were not responded to at this time.
