65 people including game anchors have been arrested, and New York is experiencing a sudden outbreak! Fan meetings have evolved into "full-scale riots" bottles | Union Square | New York
According to the New York Post, on August 4th local time, an American internet anchor held a gift event at Union Square in New York, but it unexpectedly escalated into a large-scale riot.
According to reports, during the nearly three hour riot, thousands of fans rushed into the square, throwing stones, shovels, bottles and other objects at the police, attacking them and smashing cars. The police described the incident as a "full-scale riot". The online anchor who hosted the event has been detained by the police. The number of injuries and arrests at the scene is not yet clear.
According to a report by CBS, on the afternoon of the 4th local time, 21-year-old game anchor Kai Senat held a fan meeting and gift event at Union Square Park in Manhattan. However, the event escalated into a riot, and Senat has been arrested by the police, facing multiple charges of inciting riots, illegal gatherings, and more.
![65 people including game anchors have been arrested, and New York is experiencing a sudden outbreak! Fan meetings have evolved into "full-scale riots" bottles | Union Square | New York](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/7dd85cea21cf605ab461992e616dd6bf.jpg)
Near Union Square Park, a rioter jumped onto the roof of a car while another rioter kicked the car window. Image from The New York Post
In the chaos, one can see someone about to throw a flowerpot. Image from The New York Post
According to reports, Kai Senat has over 9 million followers on video platform Twitch and other social media platforms. Earlier that day, Senat announced on social media that he would be present at the gift giving event. New York Police Chief Jeffrey Madre said that this post quickly went viral online, laying the groundwork for the subsequent chaos. The police estimate that thousands of people came to attend the meeting and gift giving activities, including electronic game equipment.
![65 people including game anchors have been arrested, and New York is experiencing a sudden outbreak! Fan meetings have evolved into "full-scale riots" bottles | Union Square | New York](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/333964c13e497e8a0bcb3a5dcc69a38b.jpg)
According to reports, Madre stated that as the number of people gathered increased, the deployed police force also increased, and some people in the park began to commit violent acts against the police and other crowds. Some people rushed into a nearby construction site and began throwing construction equipment, cans, bottles, stones, etc. Some people walked around with shovels, axes, and other construction tools. In addition, some people threw fireworks at the police and also threw them at each other. He said that the police had issued multiple warnings to the crowd but were unsuccessful. After being attacked and thrown with stones, bottles, and other objects, the police began to make arrests. 65 people have been arrested, of which 30 are teenagers. Several police officers were injured. Madre said he was also hit by an object.
Kai Senat was detained after the riots on the 4th, as shown in the New York Post
The report stated that these police officers who initially went on duty did not wear riot gear, helmets, or shields, but as the situation escalated, they could be seen wearing helmets and shields. The New York City Police Department ultimately took a large-scale response, deploying approximately 1000 police officers to level four and declaring the rally illegal. Madre said that this incident highlights the power and danger of social media, as it was not premeditated, but rather spontaneous.
![65 people including game anchors have been arrested, and New York is experiencing a sudden outbreak! Fan meetings have evolved into "full-scale riots" bottles | Union Square | New York](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/2d368d01d073c1e05b05286696e425a9.jpg)