A neighborhood in Huntington Beach, California, eventually quieted down Sunday following a night when thousands gathered for a party advertised on TikTok.
An unlawful assembly was declared Saturday because of an unruly crowd after around 2,500 partygoers descended on the area for the event that went viral after being posted on social media, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Unlawful assembly has been declared in #HuntingtonBeach due to unruly crowds. An emergency curfew has been put into place effective 5/22 at 11:30pm through 5/23 at 5:30am for all individuals within the downtown area.
— Huntington Beach PD (@HBPD_PIO) May 23, 2021
The outlet continued:
When police tried to have the crowd disperse after sundown, chaos ensued, with fireworks being thrown at officers and attendees, and some partygoers engaging in graffiti, looting, and destroying property. An emergency curfew has been put into place effective at 11:30 p.m. through 5:30 a.m. for those within the downtown area.
Several downtown businesses, police vehicles, and a lifeguard tower were damaged due to vandalism, police reportedly said in a news release.
“Elsewhere in the area, the Surf City ArtWalk had been underway, with vendors displaying their property. By morning, it was apparent the tents and property had been damaged, with some property taken, as a result of the looting in the area,” the CBS report stated.
Of the individuals arrested, there were 121 adults and 28 juveniles, Jennifer Carey, public information officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department, told Fox 11.
The individuals were booked on different charges including vandalism, firing of dangerous/illegal fireworks, failure to disperse, and curfew violations, according to Carey.
The Fox report continued:
Officers used less-lethal weapons to disperse a crowd estimated at more than 2,500 that responded to a viral video posted Wednesday on the TikTok page adrian.lopez517, which included the caption “pop out ‘n celebrate my bday.”
Footage on social media showed the crowds dancing, taking videos, and launching fireworks. Social media videos showed objects being thrown at officers, people jumping on top of cars and celebrating on the street in downtown Huntington Beach.
One video caught the moment the crowds ran through a parking lot near the beach as fireworks went off in the distance:
Aerial video footage showed officers working to disperse the partygoers:
As of Sunday morning, no significant injuries were reported, police said.
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