Police say they plan to charge US YouTuber Kai Cenat after a video games console giveaway event he organised sparked mayhem in New York.

Thousands of people rampaged through Union Square in anticipation of free PlayStation 5 devices, hurling bottles, stones and tins of paint.

Mr Cenat could be charged with multiple counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly.

Police say they made more than 60 arrests.

People first gathered at about 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT) after Mr Cenat posted on social media - where he has more than 10 million followers and subscribers - that he would be handing out 300 PlayStations.

By 15:00, hundreds had piled on to streets surrounding one of New York’s busiest train stops.

They climbed cars and the train station entrance’s roof and threw bottles at responding police officers.

During a livestream inside a vehicle near Union Square as the disorder was unfolding, Mr Cenat said: "They’re throwing tear gas out there.

“We’re not going to do nothing until it’s safe. Everybody for themselves, because it’s a war out there man.”

Mr Cenat was taken into police custody at around 17:00. The crowd was finally dispersed about an hour later.

According to a CBS affiliate, Mr Cenat did not have a permit for the event, which was reportedly a collaboration with Bronx YouTube star Fanum.

NYPD chief of department Jeffrey Maddrey said: “We have encountered things like this before, but never to this level of dangerousness, where young people would not listen to our commands.”

He added: "You had people walking around with shovels, axes and other tools from the construction trade.

“In addition, individuals were also lighting fireworks. They were throwing them towards police and they were throwing them at each other.”

Mr Cenat made headlines in March after he broke the record for attracting the most Twitch subscribers by reaching 300,000.

Twitch is a livestreaming platform, where people typically play video games while chatting to viewers.

In the build-up to breaking the record, Mr Cenat launched a round-the-clock drive to boost his subscribers - chatting, gaming and interviewing guests, as well as sleeping, all on camera - for 30 days.

  • jscummy
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    1 year ago

    He even said they’re not doing anything until it’s safe. Poor planning for sure but I don’t see how he’s liable

    • SlowNPC@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      He organized an event without getting a permit.

      The permitting process ensures that there’s adequate security, traffic control, etc.

      He didn’t do any of that legally required stuff, and the result was an angry mob. We’ve been through this. This is why you need a permit for large public gatherings, and why he’s legally liable for what happened.

    • Madison_rogue@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, he’s liable alright. Planning a giveaway without permitting with the city is pretty huge. I’m fairly confident that given the supply chain issues with the console, and the fact he wanted the event to take place at one of the busiest locations in NYC, the city might have denied the permit outright.