Union Square: How New York Lost and Regained Control

The mayhem sparked by a social media celebrity’s game console giveaway put the New York Police Department to the test.

The New York Police Department’s entertainment unit noticed around 12:30 p.m. Friday that Kai Cenat, a social-media streamer with over six million followers, had said he would be in Manhattan’s Union Square that day, ready to give away free PlayStation 5 consoles and other prizes to fans who showed up.