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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 7 august 2023
Social media influencer Kai Cenat faces charges of inciting riot after

thousands cause mayhem in NYC

By Bobby Caina Calvan ups and video shoots in the safety” and police were in
Associated Press past, but we’ve never ex- contact with him. Videos
NEW YORK (AP) — Social perienced anything at the posted on social media
media influencer Kai Cenat scale of what took place and taken from news heli-
is facing charges of incit- yesterday,” AMP said. copters showed Cenat be-
ing a riot and promoting an “We recognize that our ing lifted over a fence and
unlawful gathering in New audience and influence out of the crowd and then
York City, after the online is growing, and with that placed in a police vehicle.
streamer drew thousands of comes greater responsibil- Aerial TV news footage
his followers, many of them ity,” the statement contin- showed a surging, tightly
teenagers, with promises of ued. “We are deeply dis- packed crowd running
giving away electronics, in- heartened by the outbreak through the streets, scal-
cluding a new PlayStation. of disorderly conduct that ing structures in the park
The event produced cha- affected innocent people and snarling traffic. Shout-
os, with dozens of people and businesses, and do not ing teenagers swung ob-
arrested — some jumping condone behavior.” jects at car windows, threw
atop vehicles, hurling bot- In this image taken from video provided by WABC-TV, internet In its apology, the compa- paint cans and set off fire
tles and throwing punches. influencer Kai Cenat, center left, places his hands on his face as ny said it was cooperating extinguishers. Some people
Cenat was released early he is helped into a New York Police vehicle near Union Square, with authorities. climbed on a moving ve-
Saturday from police cus- Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in New York. Livestreaming on Twitch hicle, falling off as it sped
tody after being issued a niles. Several people were he posts daily life and com- from a vehicle as the event away. Others pounded on
desk appearance ticket, injured, including some edy vlogs ranging from gathered steam, Cenat or climbed atop city buses.
which police issue to re- with bloodied faces. At “Fake Hibachi Chef Prank!” displayed gift cards he Skylark Jones, 19, likened
quire a suspect to appear least four people were tak- to his most recent video, “I planned to give away. Not- the scene to “a movie,”
in court to answer charges. en away in ambulances. Rented Us Girlfriends In Ja- ing the crowd and police as he said police arrived
A police spokesperson said “I don’t think people real- pan!” presence, he urged, “Ev- with riot gear and began
he is to appear in court on ize the level of discipline His 299 YouTube videos erybody who’s out there, “charging at people.”
Aug. 18. that we showed to take a have amassed more than make sure y’all safe. ... Jones arrived with a friend
The mayhem in New York very dangerous, volatile 276 million views among We’re not gonna do noth- hoping to get a chance
City’s Union Square Friday situation and to be able them. In December, he in’ until it’s safe.” at getting one of the give-
afternoon put further focus to bring it to a level of re- was crowned streamer of Eventually he and an en- aways. When they arrived,
on the hold social media in- solve without any loss of the year at the 12th annual tourage got out of the ve- the scene was already
fluencers have on the peo- life or any substantial dam- Streamy Awards. hicle and hustled through a packed and things be-
ple who follow and fawn age to property and with- Media representatives for crowd, crossed a street and came unruly even before
over them. out young people harming AMP, which represents went into the park, where Cenat appeared, he said.
“Our children cannot be themselves,” Adams said. Cenat and a small group Cenat was surrounded by Maddrey said three officers
raised by social media,” Cenat, 21, is a video creator of other influencers, said in a cheering, shoving mob. were hurt.
Mayor Eric Adams said Sat- with 6.5 million followers on an email Saturday that the Chief Jeffrey Maddrey of “We have encountered
urday during a press brief- the platform Twitch, where Union Square event was in- the New York Police De- things like this before but
ing on an unrelated crime. he regularly livestreams. He tended to show apprecia- partment said Cenat at never to this level of dan-
Police said they arrested 65 also boasts 4 million sub- tion to fans. some point in the after- gerousness,” Maddrey
people, including 30 juve- scribers on YouTube, where “We’ve hosted fan meet noon was removed “for his said.q

Opera singer David Daniels and his husband plead guilty to sexual

assault

Associated Press offenders. porting an assault.
HOUSTON (AP) — Re- Daniels, Walters and their Daniels, a countertenor,
nowned opera singer Da- attorney declined to com- was fired as a University of
vid Daniels and his husband ment following the hearing. Michigan professor and
have pleaded guilty to Daniels and Walters were was removed by the San
sexually assaulting another charged in 2019 when Francisco Opera from a
singer in Houston. Samuel Schultz filed a crimi- production of Handel’s “Or-
Daniels, 57, of Ann Arbor, nal complaint in 2018 alleg- lando” after sexual assault
Michigan, and Scott Wal- ing the two assaulted him allegations by a student at
ters, 40, entered the pleas in 2010 after he met them the university in 2018.
Friday after a jury was as- at a Houston Grand Opera The lawsuit, filed in a federal
sembled for the trial of the reception while he was a court in Michigan, alleged
pair on first-degree felony graduate student at Rice Daniels groped the male
charges of aggravated University. student and sent and re-
sexual assault. Schultz said he was invited quested sexual photos. The
Both pleaded guilty to to their apartment and giv- Opera singer David Daniels performs as Prospero during the final lawsuit also alleged that
sexual assault of an adult, en a drink that led him to dress rehearsal of “The Enchanted Island,” at the Metropolitan Daniels served the student
a second-degree felony, slip in and out of conscious- Opera in New York on Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, alcohol, gave him sleep
and were sentenced to ness. He awoke alone and File) medication and touched
eight years’ probation and naked. name victims of sexual as- to publicly identify himself him sexually.q
required to register as sex The AP doesn’t normally sault, but Schultz offered to help others fearful of re-