A Fourth of July celebration in California’s Newport Beach descended into chaos as large crowds set off illegal fireworks, vandalized property and clashed with police. The unrest left several officers injured and led to at least 100 arrests.
How the chaos unfolded
Police were first called to the area around 7pm after a large crowd began lighting fireworks and fighting, according to authorities cited by ABC 7. Officials also reported a significant mess at a nearby Pavilions grocery store.
NBPD spokesperson Heather Rangel said, “There were numerous calls for service throughout the day that required officers to respond with lights and sirens.” She confirmed that a fight broke out on 32nd Street and a crowd had to be dispersed.
Newport Beach Police officers, along with assistance from Fullerton officers, helped manage the crowd.
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Around 10pm local time, more chaos broke out in the parking lot of the Pavilions grocery store on West Balboa Boulevard. Videos shared online showed large crowds vandalizing property, setting off illegal fireworks and getting into fist fights, according to the LA Times.
The situation got worse after police arrived. People continued fighting and even threw fireworks at officers. Several police officers were injured.
Police had not released a final arrest count but officials said at least 100 people were taken into custody, according to ABC 7. The incident remains under investigation.
Here are videos of the incident:
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What’s happening today?
The scene on Sunday morning was much quieter, though the mess left behind cluttered streets and sidewalks, as per the LA Times. Some local residents came out to the Pavilions parking lot to help restore the neighborhood grocery store to normalcy.
Local real estate agent Bill Forsythe, who stopped in for coffee at the Starbucks inside Pavilions on Sunday morning, said, “I spoke to a man who lived on 28th Street, who had seen the incident last night and came out this morning to help clean up the parking lot.”
He added, “He said the unruly people were throwing large fireworks like cherry bombs into the crowd, and he had heard that many were from out of state.”
