Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Kai Cenat, the Twitch and YouTube streamer, issued a statement Saturday through his group AMP (Any Means Possible) apologizing after a violent mob took over New York’s Union Square Park a day earlier when he urged fans to come to the park, where he said he was planning to give away free PlayStation 5s and gift cards.
Thousands of people flocked to Union Square Park after Cenat’s social media posts went viral Friday, and the flash mob became violent and began attacking police and other people in the area with bottles, rocks, other debris and fireworks.
The riot resulted in multiple injuries and 65 arrests, according to the NYPD. “We are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct that affected innocent people and businesses, and do not condone that behavior,” the statement on behalf of AMP said. “We apologize to all of those impacted.
We are fully cooperating with local authorities.” The statement continued, “We recognize that our audience and influence are growing, and with that comes greater responsibility.” Members of AMP include Cenat, whose livestreams feature him speaking to fans, playing games and reacting to videos, and fellow streamer Fanum. “Yesterday members of AMP hoped to create a positive experience for fans and give back as a show of appreciation for their support,” the group’s statement said. “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 detained by police after the violent outbreak in Union Square Park and subsequently charged with inciting riot and unlawful assembly, according to police.
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