Twitch streamer Kai Cenat broke his silence on Wednesday on the chaos and riots at his recent giveaway event in New York City.
Cenat announced on Twitch that he would give away free video game consoles, headphones and other items to fans on Friday, Aug. 4 at Union Square. Hundreds of fans arrived early for the event, and the crowd rapidly got out of hand before Cenat’s arrival.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said that the crowd grew to a “couple thousand people” by 4 p.m. Fans reportedly threw garbage, tore down barricades, blocked traffic and caused mayhem in the streets that afternoon. Video footage showed them climbing on cars and hitting them with objects. The NYPD called for 1,000 officers to intervene, according to CBS News.
Cenat spoke out for the first time since the giveaway in a Twitch livestream titled “First Stream Since New York,” saying he was “beyond disappointed in anybody who became disruptive that day.”
“Being from New York, it has been my dream to want to give back to the community that made me who I am. I want people to know that none of that was my intention,” he said. “I had good intentions for this whole thing. I don’t condone any of the things that went on that day.”
The incident resulted in 65 arrests, nearly half of which were juveniles, CBS News reported. A few police officers and people in the crowd were also injured at the event. Cenat is facing a felony charge and two misdemeanors, including inciting to riot and unlawful assembly.
In a press conference that evening, an NYPD officer said the riot “speaks to the power of social media and the danger of social media.”
Cenat is well known for his streaming gameplays, prank and reaction videos. He has over 6.5 million Twitch subscribers and recently broke the record for most-active subscribers after completing a 30-day livestream challenge.
The popular Twitch streamer had posted a video to promote it a few days before the event, adding it could get “rowdy.” When the day arrived, the video had gained 2 million views, according to NBC News.
Cenat promised during his livestream this week, next time to “do it in the correct way.”
He added, “I’ve come to realize the amount of not only power but influence that I have on people.”
Cenat is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 18.
