It’s hard to imagine what happened in New York’s Union Square this afternoon. A popular place for drugs and crime in the 70s and early 80s, the huge park was demolished and rebuilt in 1985 so it was eye level for the police. Since then, for decades, it’s been a serene place for the Farmer’s Market and Christmas shops.
But all that changed this afternoon when 21 year old YouTuber Kai Cenat summoned his followers to the park. The lure was a give away of video game stations and gift cards. He had just couple hundred of each, perhaps. But it’s summer, kids are out of school, and the weather is good. So his followers came– 2,000 of them — and caused a riot.
We’ve all been watching this on TV since 4pm. This is the power of social media. There’s no FCC, no regulation, and always the possibility of pandemonium. Luckily no one was killed. There were lessons learned, maybe. The mainstream had no clue who Kai was of what was going on. The police were very slow to respond. They also didn’t get it There’s going to be a lot of talk about Kai Cenat’s riot going forward. This is how easy it is to start one, even after 9-11.
Keep refreshing to see how Kai Cenat is handled, and if charges are brought against him.
Watch live as NYPD executives brief the media on an ongoing incident in Manhattan. https://t.co/IZfhsMwPiC
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) August 4, 2023
