Thousands of people gathered at Union Square Park in New York City this afternoon hoping to score a free PlayStation 5s and other electronics after Twitch streamer Kai Cenat promised a “huge giveaway” there at 4 p.m.
The park was already packed at 3 p.m. and, according to NYPD chief Jeffrey Maddrey, “individuals in the park began to commit acts of violence towards the police and the public.”
After some people broke into a nearby construction site, “They began to throw articles that belonged to the construction site: paint can, bottles, rocks. You had people walking around with shovels, axes, and other tools from the construction trade,” he said. “Individuals were also lighting fireworks, throwing them towards the police, they were throwing them towards each other.”
He said Kai Cenat was eventually taken into custody, though it was unclear whether the action was an arrest or simply a move to deescalate the situation.
Images from TV news outlets and social media showed a packed space, with traffic stopped and some people on top of cars and others being arrested. The NYPD activated its highest “Level 4” disaster response. Traffic was diverted from the area and local subway stops were closed.
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Content Source: deadline.com