What are the charges for inciting a riot in New York? Aftermath of Kai Cenat giveaway at Union Square explored

Popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat faces two charges related to inciting a riot and unlawful assembly. This comes after his promised giveaway event at Union Square in Manhattan devolved into a violent situation on Friday. The announcement confirming the charges leveled against Kai was made by NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey during a press conference.

The ill-fated event transpired after thousands of Kai's fans gathered at Union Square Park after the Brooklyn native announced via his livestream that he had a "large giveaway event" scheduled to happen at 4 pm. The event took place despite Kai failing to obtain any sort of permission from the relevant civic and legal authorities.

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Exploring Kai Cenat's charges of Unlawful Assembly and Inciting to Riot

In accordance with legal guidelines outlined by Justia, the legal information retrieval service, Article 240 of the New York Penal Law deals with specific offenses pertaining to Offenses Against Public Order. Within Article 240, subsections 8 and 10 are concerned with Unlawful Assembly and Inciting to Riot, both of which have been leveled against Kai Cenat following the events that materialized on Friday evening at Union Square.

NY Penal L § 240.10 (2022) states unlawful assembly is a class B misdemeanor:

"A person is guilty of unlawful assembly when he assembles with four or more other persons for the purpose of engaging or preparing to engage with them in tumultuous and violent conduct likely to cause public alarm, or when, being present at an assembly which either has or develops such purpose, he remains there with intent to advance that purpose."

NY Penal L § 240.08 (2017) states that Inciting to riot is a class A misdemeanor:

"A person is guilty of inciting to riot when he urges ten or more persons to engage in tumultuous and violent conduct of a kind likely to create public alarm."

During the press conference held by the NYPD, Chief Maddrey expressed concern over the events that took place on August 4, 2023, citing severe injuries and unruly behavior among the fans. The latter phenomenon included taking plates from outdoor diners and throwing them at police officers during the PlayStation giveaway.

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How Kai Cenat's giveaway lost control

Following Kai Cenat's initial livestream announcing the planned giveaway, the public began gathering at the park around 3 pm, causing massive disruptions in traffic on nearby roads. Eventually, the NYPD was forced to step into motion a Level 4 response in an attempt to manage the crowd.

While the police desperately tried to handle the growing crowds, tragically, some attendees engaged in violent acts, with reports of individuals wielding shovels and axes taken from a nearby construction site, as well as the reckless use of fireworks directed at law enforcement.

Kai Cenat, who was present at the scene, was escorted away by police officers. As confirmed to reporters, 65 people, out of which 30 are juveniles, have been arrested in connection with the incident. The police officers worked diligently to disperse part of the crowd toward Park Avenue, and those who resisted or ignored their orders were promptly taken into custody.