'War Out There': Chaos Erupts At YouTuber's Union Square Giveaway

NEW YORK CITY — Social media star Kai Cenat will face charges after his "huge giveaway" at Union Square erupted into chaos when a crowd of thousands began climbing roofs and throwing things, leading to 65 arrests, according to officials, videos and reports.

The popular YouTuber — who announced the giveaway of computers, PlayStation 5 game consoles and more at 4 p.m. Friday — arrived to find a swarm of cops and crowds of people, a Twitch stream shows.

"It's a war out there, man," Cenat said.

Cenat will be charged with multiple counts of inciting a riot, unlawful assembly and possibly other crimes after the unrest that left Union Square Park in shambles, said NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey. Cenat was taken into custody Friday, NBC New York reported.

Police arrested 65 people, including 30 juveniles, Maddrey said. At least three officers were hurt, including a sergeant who broke a hand. One 17-year-old went to the hospital with what police initially believed to be a gunshot wound, but later turned out to be from a firework, he said.

Maddrey said he personally saw people bleeding from their heads and experiencing panic attacks.

"People were suffering out here," he said.

Thousands of people, mostly young, showed up to the park, Maddrey said.

They destroyed cars, including Maddrey's, and took plates off diners' tables to throw, the chief said.

Crowd members threw objects, set off a fire extinguisher and climbed on the roof of a subway station, CBS New York reported, with live video showing throngs of people.

One video from a local news station showed people swarming and riding atop an SUV driving away from Union Square. It shows one person falling off the vehicle.

Other videos posted online show fights and more people climbing on top of vehicles.

Maddrey said a city bus filled with people who were arrested came under attack, and more police had to be sent to protect it. Numerous people were seen in hand restraints, sitting on the sidewalks, and multiple young men were taken away in handcuffs.

The event itself was not sanctioned or permitted by the city, Maddrey said.

He said police were at the park by 1:30 p.m. and only saw a relative handful of people. Those numbers grew as the advertised giveaway approached, he said.

"This event grew exponentially, rapidly, fast," he said.

Police presence in Union Square spurred the MTA to reroute eight subway lines.

The 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R and W bypassed the 14th Street-Union Square station just as Friday's rush hour began, MTA officials tweeted.

"Consider using the nearby 3 Av (L), 8 St-NYU (R/W), or Astor Pl (6) train stations instead," the tweet states.

NYPD officials told New Yorkers to avoid the area surrounding Union Square Park.

They didn't immediately have information on the rowdy crowd, other than police responded to an "unscheduled event."

Cenat, as seen in the Twitch stream, encouraged everyone to stay safe as he jumped out the car and headed toward the crowd. The botched giveaway prompted a wave of jokes and frustration on Twitter.

"What Kai Cenat has caused in Union Square is a traffic nightmare, jeez," one tweeted.

"F---ing YouTubers," another wrote.

The park was gradually cleared starting at 5 p.m., officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.