Streamer Of The Year Causes A Full Blown Riot In The Streets Of New York

Every week I cover some pretty outlandish stories, but I was not prepared for the events that took place in New York City.

On Friday afternoon, a massive crowd gathered in Manhattan’s Union Square for a meet-and-greet and PS5 giveaway hosted by Kai Cenat and Fanum. If you didn’t know, Kai won the SotY award at the 2022 Streamys and he also holds the record for most Twitch subscribers (300,000) dethroning Ludwig’s record.

With a combined 8 million followers between the two Twitch creators, it was to no one’s surprise (well, except maybe Kai) that Union Square amassed a horde of fans who most likely haven’t touched grass in months.

Things escalated rapidly…

There is footage all over Twitter showing the destruction caused by rioters. The tweet below shows footage of Kai and his team attempting to leave the area.

This event was a DISASTER. I don’t think anyone will dispute that.

After being taken into custody, Kai was charged with first-degree rioting, inciting a riot, and unlawful assembly.

However, there are some aspects of this event that I don’t think the mainstream media are highlighting.

Kai is the Scapegoat

Because Kai Cenat is the more recognizable influencer, he is taking the brunt of the blame for the riots in New York. I agree that he should be held accountable, BUT I think it is important to understand this event was hosted by two individuals.

Fanum is as much to blame for the chaos as Kai is, yet I see virtually no acknowledgement of this in mainstream media.

Kai in the Moment

Mainstream media also neglected to show Kai’s behavior as the riots spiraled out of control. While hell broke loose around him, Kai did make several attempts to maintain control of the crowds.

In a separate video, Kai can be seen consoling a young woman who appears to be having a panic attack.

While Kai should be held accountable for what happened, I don’t believe there was ill-intent in his actions. He was irresponsible and naïve, but not a “rioter”.

I see most news sites and individuals on social media painting Kai as a ‘bad guy’, but I don’t believe this to be true. I do believe that certain people in the crowd purposely incited violence and damaged property.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams even suggested that ‘outside agitators’ could have been to blame for the riots. Those individuals should be held accountable, and thankfully there is plenty of video footage to find them.

Let’s Talk About the Police Response

The video below shows several NYPD officers attempt to arrest someone and in the process smash their head through a taxi cab window. This was absolutely uncalled for. I understand the police were outnumbered and were not prepared to respond to the massive crowds, but this felt like overkill.

I wouldn’t be surprised if more videos like this may surface in the coming days depicting police action.

What Happens Now?

As of this newsletter, Kai has been released on bail. In the coming weeks, we will hear more from authorities and I’m sure we’ll hear Kai’s side of the story as well.

I’m genuinely curious if the charges stick as there is plenty of evidence that Kai did not intend to ‘incite a riot’. It is entirely possible some charges get dropped.

I’ll update you here with any future developments.

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• Kai Cenat, voted Streamer of the Year, hosted a giveaway in New York City that quickly turned into a riot. The event escalated into a mob of Kai Cenat fans destroying property and getting physically violent (the police got violent too). By the end, over 60 individuals were arrested and Kai was taken into custody. Kai was charged with inciting a riot, unlawful assemply, and causing public injury and damge.

• MrBeast’s latest video accumulated over 47 million views in 24 hours.

• Hasanabi gets called out for comments he made related to the Kai Cenat riots in New York’s Union Square.

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