“Unacceptable and deeply disturbing” behavior. These are the words of Twitch in response to the aggression of the American streamer Emiru.
It all started at Twitchcon in San Diego, the convention organized by the streaming platform from October 17 to 19. On the program, cosplay contests, conferences and above all, meetings with Twitch stars. But this year one of the meetings went wrong.
During the day of October 17, the streamer Emiru, followed by more than 2 million subscribers on the Amazon platform, was in the middle of a signing session with her fans. When suddenly, a man manages to bypass the security devices and enter directly into Emiru’s signing area.
“Blatant lie”
As shown in a video shared on X, ex-Twitter, he then quickly approaches the streamer before grabbing her and attempting to kiss her without her consent. It was the 27-year-old cameraman’s personal bodyguard who had to intervene to push the attacker, alerted by the streamer’s screams.
For its part, Twitch reacted quickly: “We immediately prohibited this individual from returning to the premises and prohibited him from accessing Twitch indefinitely, both online and in person,” the company specifies, while ensuring that its teams intervened at the time of the incident and that security protocols were subsequently reinforced.
Statements with which Emiru does not seem to fully agree. The streamer denounces a “blatant lie” by Twitch about his role in the arrest.
“I don’t understand how he could get to me… There were at least three or four Twitchcon security guards around who didn’t react and let the guy go, as you can see in the video, since they’re not even in the frame,” he continued.
Increasingly frequent attacks
The content creator regrets that “no Twitchcon staff” came to see her after the incident. “In its statement, Twitch said the individual was immediately detained and taken into custody, but that is a blatant lie. He was allowed to leave my book signing and I did not learn of his arrest until several hours after he assaulted me,” he added.
Emiru is clear: he will no longer participate in Twitchcon. “I did not feel cared for or protected (…) Other creators should seriously consider not continuing to participate,” she concludes.
The American cameraman is far from an exception. In recent years, content creators, and more particularly women, have faced an increase in attacks, whether at conventions, live, or at home.
In March, streamer Amouranth was violently attacked in her home. Three armed men allegedly entered his home to try to take money from him in the form of cryptocurrency. A few days later, Japanese cameraman Airi Sato was murdered by one of her fans while filming live on the streets of Tokyo.
Source: BFM TV
