More than 400 people have been arrested after Fourth of July celebrations in Newport Beach descended into chaos, with authorities later pointing to an alleged social media-fueled “TikTok Takeover” as a catalyst.
Youths and minors made up the majority of those taken into custody over a 36-hour period after cops responded to the Newport Peninsula around 7 p.m. Saturday following reports of large crowds fighting and setting off illegal fireworks.
Videos show aerial fireworks exploding at close range as people scrambled to get out of the way, while another clip showed someone throwing fireworks into a packed crowd.
Separate footage also showed an individual wearing a Spider-Man mask climbing a traffic signal before leading the crowd in chants of “USA, USA, USA.”
Other clips appear to show people carrying broken street signs and looting a nearby Pavilions grocery store on West Balboa Boulevard, with cops on horseback also charging at revelers on the beach.
Emily Alcala, 18, who traveled from Las Vegas and was staying with relatives nearby, described the situation as frightening.
“It’s very unsafe to have fireworks popped in the middle of crowds,” Alcala told the LA Times. “There was a firework to your left, [then] you run to your right and there was a firework [there]. It was very chaotic. There was no way that you could go that was safe at all.”
Ahead of the holiday, city officials rolled out a “Not in Newport” campaign warning visitors that authorities would have zero tolerance for public intoxication, illegal fireworks and other disruptive behavior.
Fines for violations committed in designated safety enhancement zones across West Newport Beach and the Peninsula were tripled through July 6.
Mayor Lauren Kleiman said the city has long experienced an influx of young visitors over the Fourth of July weekend, but believes social media has intensified the problem.
He said: “We always have an influx of visitors to the city for the Fourth of July. It’s been like that for many years, and there’s always kind of a big youth movement that has kind of ebbed and flowed.
“The last couple of years we’ve definitely seen an uptick, in particular kids from out of state. [It’s] not atypical, but I think that social media has really changed things.”
The city also adopted a one-strike policy allowing officials to revoke short-term rental permits if guests violate public safety laws during the holiday enforcement period.
Kleiman explained some adults rent homes for groups of young people without staying behind to supervise them.
Many of those arrested were minors or from outside Newport Beach. One officer also suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a mortar-style firework was thrown at him.
“ We’re still processing everything. Come Monday morning, we will all sit down and debrief about what we can do better for next year,” added Kleiman.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the Newport Beach Police Association applauded officers for their response, alleging that a “TikTok Takeover” had drawn agitators to the city.
“A large group of agitators invaded Newport Beach, spurred on by an alleged ‘TikTok Takeover,’” the association wrote in the Instagram post.
“These persons came to our city with the intent on causing harm, injury, and destruction, bringing harassment, disturbances, and mayhem.”
The association also said officers were at times outnumbered by as much as 500 to 1, praising their “courage, professionalism, and excellence” in restoring order and protecting the public during the holiday crowds.
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