Livestreamer Kai Cenat won’t be prosecuted for 2023 Union Square riot.
By Katie Houlis
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NEW YORK, NY (WCBS) — Livestreamer Kai Cenat will not be prosecuted in connection to the riot that broke out after he promoted a meet-and-greet and video game console giveaway in New York City’s Union Square last year.
Thousands of people flooded the park on Aug. 4, 2023. The situation quickly turned chaotic as some individuals began tearing down construction barricades, climbing on structures and throwing objects at responding police officers.
The New York City Police Department said the event was not sanctioned by police and ultimately declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, ordering the crowd to disperse. A total of 65 people were arrested, including 30 juveniles.
Cenat was charged with felony rioting, inciting a riot and unlawful assembly.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office says Cenat paid $55,000 in restitution to the Union Square Partnership. Two others charged in connection to the riot, Denzel Dennis and Muktar Din, each paid $1,049.50 to the partnership. The combined $57,099 pays for the landscaping damage and additional staff hours needed in the aftermath of the riot, the DA’s office says.
Tuesday, Cenat posted an apology on Snapchat, reading in part, “I wanted to do something cool and fun for people and did not think it was going to turn into something that caused harm to the city, and I should have thought more about the post before I announced it. The actions of some of the people that attended were unacceptable. At no time is it OK to act out physically in situations like this or to destroy property or try to harm people.”
In the apology, Cenat goes on to say he “learned a very valuable lesson” about the power of social media and thanks the mayor, District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the NYPD for their hard work.
The DA’s office says the case against Cenat, Dennis and Din will be officially dismissed Wednesday, after the apology has been up on social media for a full 24 hours.
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