“This is going to be a f–king movie,” internet star Kai Cenat said during a Twitch stream days before his Lower Manhattan meet and greet turned into a riot on Aug. 4.
Union Square played host to the influencer’s giveaway, which turned into violent unrest on Friday, leaving 65 people arrested and the organizer slapped with inciting a riot.
Two days after madness descended upon Manhattan’s town square, the New York City Police Department is left to piece together what exactly caused the mayhem to ensue.
Here is a timeline of how a gaming giveaway turned into anarchy on the streets of the Big Apple.
1:30 p.m.: Crowd begins to form
According to NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, the police department became aware of a large crowd of teens assembling in Union Square in hopes of meeting Twitch and YouTube sensation Kai Cenat. Sources familiar with the investigation say that youngsters came from both around the city and out of state to join the 21-year-old Twitch streamer, who has 6.5 million followers on the platform, after he promised to give away highly sought after gaming equipment and consoles, such as the PlayStation5.
Cenat, along with his fellow streamer, Fanum, posted a six-hour video titled “Huge announcement” on their Twitch Stream, where they publicized a giveaway of an assortment of gaming gear to be held at Union Square, across the street from Whole Foods at 4 p.m. Calling it “Operation Stream,” the duo prompted their millions of followers to attend, acknowledging that it was going to be an enormous crowd with well over 1,000 people.
“You don’t got no excuse, all trains go here,” Cenat said on the stream while sharing a Google Street view of Union Square.
“We not gonna fit, we run deep,” Fanum said, laughing as they both speculated how many people would show up. The two mentioned that anywhere from 500 to 10,000 fans could be there.
“The NYPD is gonna be on d-ck. NYPD gonna pull up but f–k it, bro. This gonna be a f–king movie,” Cenat added, declaring that the event would be the first of many across the Big Apple.
On Friday, Chief Maddrey told press that the call to Cenat’s fans apparently went viral, leading to thousands descending upon the area by 3 p.m.
3:09 p.m. Police call for backup as the crowd descends into violence
Just after 3 p.m. the NYPD called for a level 4 mobilization, the highest-level emergency response after a deluge of humanity covered the greenspace.
While the event began with large crowds dancing and filming one another as part of what appeared to be light-hearted fun, things swiftly took a turn after several people in the crowd began tossing objects into the air, sending hordes fleeing. This set off a chain reaction that saw hundreds begin to lob chairs, traffic cones, bottles, cans, and rocks at one another.
Some even scaled statues in the area, while others climbed over the fence of a construction yard and hurled cans of paint into the crowd.
3:29 p.m. Teens tear down construction yard and make off with deadly weapons
Just before 3:30 p.m. a gaggle of youngsters scaled the metal fencing that secured a construction yard around the Union Square train station entranceway. There, the youths tore down barriers and overran the site, taking with them tools and even a fire extinguisher.
Passing the fire extinguisher between one another, they sprayed the substance wildly, while one person dressed in purple could be seen dragging a pickaxe from the site. It is around this time some in the crowd started pummeling each other in a flail of wild haymakers while onlookers filmed the mayhem with their cell phones.
3:45 p.m.: NYPD charges into the park
With additional units from across the five boroughs descending on Lower Manhattan, NYPD officers charged into the park at around 3:45 p.m. in order to break up the ensuing chaos. While some fled the scene, others attempted to hold steadfast.
Turning their ire from each other, the teens began pelting officers with found objects. At 3:48 p.m., Chief Maddrey himself was bombarded with bottles and even what appeared to be a water cooler, forcing the highest uniformed member of the NYPD to use a large slab of wood as a shield.
Cops attempted to push back the legion by using metal guardrails and literally fenced-off the roadway surrounding Union Square South.
3:50 p.m. NYPD uses an MTA bus to hold a large amount of arrested suspects
Police sources report that 65 individuals were arrested during the pandemonium, so many that responding officers commandeered an MTA bus in order to hold and transport those cuffed. Many didn’t go easy, however. Some agitators could be seen being carried by cops while others were tackled to the ground. One teen was even slammed against a taxicab, shattering the window and leaving him bloody.
During this time the nearby Whole Foods located at 4 Union Square South was used as a temporary location to safely secure and aid bystanders.
4:29 p.m. Organizer Kai Cenat is taken into custody
As things escalated to the point of a full-scale riot, Kai Cenat is apprehended by police on the scene. Chief Maddrey appeared to have an altercation with one of the streamer’s bodyguards that resulted in a shoving match. While Cenat did not appear to be handcuffed, he was whisked away to the 19th Precinct, where he was charged with rioting, inciting to riot, and unlawful assembly.
5:09 p.m. Crowds were pushed back further into the park
As the young people were pushed back further into the park by riot police, they climbed the Independence Flag Staff near East 17th Street. Here they chanted: “NYPD, suck my d–k.”
When cops attempted to advance once more fireworks were thrown, exploding in resounding booms and enormous plumes of smoke. Pressing through with their shields, police were finally able to evacuate the park.
5:17 p.m.: Chaos is taken to the streets
With the park emptied, the crowd gathered in the roadway on the East side until police again pushed through sending them scattering. Pockets of resistance continued, however, over the course of the next hour as they climbed cars, dining sheds, and more.
Aftermath
According to police, of the 65 people arrested Friday, 30 were juveniles. Cenat has since been released with a desk appearance ticket on Class E felony charges. Several others were also charged with felonies for attacking officers and destroying vehicles.
“This is the power of social media,” Chief Maddrey said after the NYPD had regained control of the situation. “Thousands of young people were here at this event. This wants’t a permitted event, it wasn’t a sanctioned event.”
