How Did A Kai Cenat Giveaway Spark A Riot In New York City? Friday's Wild Event Explained

Extremely popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat is no stranger to major oopsies, having previously gone viral for seeming to receive a sexual favor on stream and getting banned from the platform for riding a motorbike indoors, but the giveaway event he hosted last Friday in New York City's Union Square that ended in a riot is undoubtedly his most problematic mistake yet.

What Happened With Kai Cenat's New York City Giveaway Riot?

On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023, Kai Cenat announced to his fans, which number in the tens of millions, that he was partnering with streamer Fanum to host a giveaway in New York City's Union Square that Friday. Prizes included free PS5s, PC gaming systems, gift cards, video games, etc.

With Cenat's name and huge prizes promised for the event, thousands crammed into Union Square Park on August 4th and fights began breaking out before the event was underway.

There were reports of thrown objects, vandalism, and brawls as attendees evidently grew restless in their anxiety to score the free merch. News outlets reported it was a "full-on riot," and it escalated into the crowd hijacking nearby vehicles. Cenat and his crew attempted to flee the scene, and some rioters were filmed hanging onto his car as it drove off.

What Happened To Kai Cenat?

Cenat was taken into police custody that day for his safety. He was released the following day and charged with two counts of inciting a riot. Cenat was among 65 arrested at the event, 30 of which were juveniles. NYPD Jeffrey Maddrey stated Cenat had not been granted permission to host the event before it occurred.

Cenat has yet to comment on the event, but his sponsor, AMP, released a statement in which they disavowed the violence that occurred Friday.

“We’ve hosted fan meet-ups and video shoots in the past, but we’ve never experienced anything at the scale of what took place yesterday. We recognize that our audience and influence are growing, and with that comes greater responsibility. We are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct that affected innocent people and businesses, and do not condone that behavior.”

Many online were horrified and chastised the rioters as well as Cenat. In a video that gained over 2 million views in two days, Cr1TiKaL criticized Cenat for not anticipating the scale of the event.

Ultimately, it seems no one received a free PS5 or other promised merch, but multiple people did receive arrests, criminal charges and injuries.

For more information, check out Kai Cenat NYC Giveaway Riot on Know Your Meme.