The public relations firm responsible for a giveaway event with megastar Kai Cenat, who provoked anarchy in Union Square, has apologized.
The apology was issued on Saturday through the 21-year-old’s group AMP (Any Means Possible), a day after a violent mob took over New York’s Union Square Park. Cenat urged fans to come to the park, where he said he planned to give away free PlayStation 5s and gift cards.
Thousands of people swarmed to Union Square Park after Cenat’s social media pictures went viral on Friday, and the uncontrollable crowd turned violent, hitting police and other individuals in the neighborhood with bottles, rocks, other trash and fireworks. According to the NYPD, the violence resulted in several injuries and 65 arrests.
According to The New York Times, the giveaway was hosted by two social media influencers, mega-popular Twitch streamer Cenat and another streamer, Fanum. The giveaway was scheduled for 4 p.m. ET at Union Square Park, and the park was packed by 3 p.m.
“We are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct that affected innocent people and businesses, and do not condone that behavior,” AMP said in a written statement issued Saturday, ABCNews7 reported. “We apologize to all of those impacted. We are fully cooperating with local authorities.”
According to the New York Post, the 21-year-old didn’t obtain a permit when he announced to his 20 million followers that he’d give out PS5 video game consoles in the renowned Manhattan location, inciting thousands to show up and become unruly.
According to authorities, at about 4 p.m., some persons in the crowd began hurling objects such as building materials, rocks, and bottles at one another. A swarm of individuals blocked traffic and flung debris as rumors of pyrotechnics flared up among the crowd. Some assaulted a nearby CVS to get food and drink for others.
A large group of individuals attacked a construction site. Another group resisted police officers carrying riot shields as they moved in to make arrests.
Mayor Adams, the city’s mayor, suggested that authorities are “looking into where there’s some even outside agitators,” as he condemned the unruly juveniles’ parents.
Thank you to the NYPD for their quick work getting the situation at Union Square under control today. I want our streets to be alive and full of joy. But they must be safe. That's the most important thing.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) August 4, 2023
“Yesterday, members of AMP hoped to create a positive experience for fans and give back as a show of appreciation for their support,” according to the group’s statement. “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.”
Cenat was arrested after the violent breakout in Union Square Park and charged with inciting unrest and unlawful assembly. The allegations, however, were not mentioned in the AMP statement.
“We are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct that affected innocent people and businesses and do not condone that behavior. We apologize to all of those impacted. We are fully cooperating with local authorities,” the statement continued.
The NYPD said Kai Cenat will be charged with multiple counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly after his attempted giveaway in NYC. 😳
— No Jumper (@nojumper) August 5, 2023
pic.twitter.com/Fez126nsYd
Cenat was accused of inciting unrest and unlawful assembly before being released on a desk appearance ticket.
