Kai Cenat, Twitch's Most Popular Streamer, Arrested After Giveaway Event Leads To Mass Crowds In New York

Very popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat (photo: Instagram @KaiCenat)

JAKARTA - On Friday, August 4, a large crowd of people came to Union Square in New York City for a giveaway event hosted by two social media influences, a very popular Twitch streamer, Kai Cenat, and another streamer named Fanum. Cenat and "some other people" have been arrested, as reported by NBC 4.

In one of the press conferences after the incident, the Head of the New York Police Department (NYPD), Jeffrey Maddrey, answered a question about Cenat, saying, "we have arrested him," but did not specify which district. According to Maddrey,itions found out about the post about the event at around 1:30 p.m. local time before the post went viral around 3 p.m.

"After some people in the crowd behaved violently," Maddrey said, police removed Cenat from the park before finally declaring that the meeting was a unlawful meeting.

In a second press conference on Friday, Maddrey announced that Cenat is expected to be charged with "at least two counts" for causing unrest and unlawful gatherings. At the time, he told reporters that there had been 65 arrests, including 30 teenagers, and also noted several civilians and police officers who were sent to hospital after the event for treatment due to injury, including at least one teenager who was injured in fireworks and several people who suffered fractures.

Several subways passed Union Square because of the crowd, but the NYCT Subway account later posted that the L train was stopping there again.

Cenat is the streamer with the highest number of subscribers on Twitch, according to TwitchTracker. The giveaway is scheduled to take place at Union Square Park at 4 p.m. local time (we have linked the giveaway announcement on X, but Cenat deleted the post), and the park has been full of people since 3 p.m. Cenat uploaded a nearly three-minute broadcast on Twitch in a large crowd that doesn't show many details.

Cenat and Fanum continue to upload content to social media, share and delete images on their Instagram stories, including one with text, "I love all of you wholeheartedly, you guys are amazing, LOVE FROM HOME BASE IS REAL, Please stay safe."

Little earlier, Cenat uploaded a video from inside the vehicle before leaving, discussing some of the PS5 units he would provide in the giveaway while showing a large stack of US$100 gift cards (Rp1.5 million). The video quickly became chaotic when Cenat got out of the vehicle, with a crowd approaching him and his group.