"Lock them up!" - Footage of elderly vendor getting attacked during Kai Cenat's riot leaves netizens enraged

Streamer celebrity Kai Cenat's turbulent meet-and-greet (August 4) in New York was the most widely discussed incident in the streaming community over the weekend. Unfortunately, the situation escalated into acts of violence and vandalism. Particularly alarming was footage showing attackers harming an elderly street vendor while others attempted to pilfer items from his kiosk.

Naturally, the video clip sparked a wave of furious responses from the online community, with many demanding that the attackers be held accountable and face charges for their actions. One user asserted:

What happened during the Kai Cenat meet-and-greet?

As previously mentioned, Kai Cenat's meet-and-greet livestream, which was intended to distribute complimentary PlayStation consoles, swiftly veered off course due to an unexpected turnout of over 2,000 attendees.

Individuals were seen engaging in acts of car vandalism, damaging public property, and even leaping onto the vehicle that Kai Cenat was using for transportation.

A notable incident documented by the media involved a vendor in his 60s, who was allegedly assaulted and injured on his head, neck, and back while attempting to prevent individuals from looting his kiosk. According to a CBS report:

In a conversation with the media, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey revealed that a significant number of those involved in the disturbances were carrying dangerous objects. He also mentioned that these individuals resorted to throwing cans and bottles at one another and officers present at the location.

Moreover, he has officially confirmed that the individuals responsible for these actions will face charges once their identities are confirmed. He also mentioned that Kai could potentially be charged with inciting a riot and participating in unlawful assembly.

What did fans say?

The footage of the street vendor getting attacked and stolen from was quickly shared across Twitter (X) and garnered a lot of reactions from netizens. Here are some of them:

Although Kai Cenat was detained on the day of the riots, he was subsequently released on the same day. It remains to be seen if he will face any additional consequences.

About the author

Shreyan is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda, focusing on streamer content. He holds a Master's degree in English Literature, and journalism was the most logical next step for him. Although titles like FIFA 08 and GTA San Andreas acted as the catalyst for his love of video games, the exponential growth of the streaming community also propelled his interest in the genre. He also has a prior work experience of 2 years.

Shreyan considers factual and accurate content to be the most important as a creator and a reader. He ensures this by double checking every piece of information in his articles and sourcing it from streamers directly rather than depend on third parties. His works have caught the attention of the heavyweights, with the PR team of Sidemen (a YouTube group he’s been following since his teenage days) and Chess.com reaching out to him for sending exclusive press releases.

Shreyan would love to drop into the virtual world of FIFA/EA FC and explore it further but, he would recommend playing Red Dead Redemption 2 to gaming skeptics for its top-tier gameplay, story and characters. During his downtime, he enjoys balancing his interests in reading, watching films and sports, and of course, playing video games.

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