*(CNN) — Social media influencer Kai Cenat went live on Twitch Wednesday night to condemn the violence that ensued after thousands of people gathered in New York City’s Union Square last week for a giveaway.
The massive crowd led to injuries, thousands of dollars in property damage, and more than 60 arrests after the NYPD activated a “Level 4” response – the highest level for disaster responses.
Cenat, who has more than 6.5 million followers on Twitch, more than 5 million on Instagram and 4 million on YouTube, announced during a Twitch stream on August 2 that he was going to have a “huge giveaway” at 4 p.m. on August 4 in Union Square Park.
In the stream, he said they would be giving away computers, Play Station 5s, microphones, keyboards, webcams, gaming chairs, headphones and gift cards from a truck in Union Square.
Social Media influencer Kai Cenat was charged with inciting a riot and unlawful assembly after a giveaway drew big crowds to Union Square in New York City. (Alexi J Rosenfeld-Getty Images)
People began showing up around 3 p.m. on August 4 but “soon the park and the surrounding streets were overrun with people, obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic,” NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said at a news conference last week. Maddrey later said that as crowds grew, “individuals in the park began to commit acts of violence towards the police and the public.”
Some people were “walking around with shovels, axes, and other tools from the construction, Maddrey said. “Individuals were also lighting fireworks, throwing them towards the police, they were throwing them towards each other.”
During his Wednesday Twitch stream, Cenat said, “I don’t condone any of the things that went on that day. None of that is cool.” He reiterated that he is “beyond disappointed in anybody who became destructive that day.”
“Anything we do like this has to be safe and fun. We can’t just be running around and destroying this and destroying that,” Cenat said. “I want y’all to know that none of that is how I wanted any of this to go.”
Cenat was charged with two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, among other charges, according to the NYPD.
On Wednesday, he acknowledged his multiple charges and told fans not to worry about him. “I’m trying to get through this and stuff like that (the charges) and handle it the correct way.”
“If I ever wanna do something like this in the future, I gotta make the right calls, do the right things,” Cenat said. “I can’t stress enough it was not my intention, bro, I don’t condone any of the things that went on Friday.”
Cenat told his followers on Twitch that for the time being, he is going to take a break from streaming to handle the upcoming court dates, adding his first one is August 16. He also urged the media to leave his family alone.
CNN has reached out to Cenat’s representatives for additional comment.
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