Dozens of San Francisco police officers, after declaring an unlawful assembly at midnight, rushed and dispersed a large crowd gathered to celebrate July 4 on 25th Street near Garfield Park.
Clad in riot helmets and bearing batons, the officers advanced in a line toward the crowd, which had been setting off fireworks and holding sideshows, shouting at those assembled to leave the area.
After five minutes of dispersal orders, the officers charged. The crowd immediately scattered, people running in all directions, screaming. Officers aimed rubber-ball rifles and yelled at people to leave the area.
“Go! Get out of here!” officers shouted, as glass bottles rained down on them. “Move! Move!”
The officers seized the corner and blocked off each entrance in a square formation, continuing to give dispersal orders. People gathered half a block away from the officers, taunting and filming them.
“I like how my taxpayer money is spent!” shouted one. “How much you guys getting paid tonight?” asked another.
Mission Station Captain Thomas Harvey said he did not immediately know if police had arrested anyone.
SFPD has rushed the crowd assembled at 25th & Harrison, aiming rubber ball rifles at the crowd, which quickly dispersed
— Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) July 5, 2023
The corner has for years hosted July 4th fireworks
SFPD for hours had a strong presence on 24th Street for the night & suited up in riot gear at midnight pic.twitter.com/D6kGQV9kWi
One woman, running from the line of police, said she had been pushed by an officer. She approached this reporter, crying, and told others to run because the officers would injure them, too.
“They’re going to hurt y’all,” she said, pushing others along as the officers advanced.
Sizable crowds had gathered on 25th at the intersections with Harrison Street and Treat Avenue, lighting fireworks and holding sideshows. For hours after dark, a couple hundred people stood on the corners, skating, drinking and celebrating July 4.
The crowd was rowdy, but largely peaceful, before the police intervention. A scuffle broke out between two woman, but they were quickly pulled apart. An informal boxing match, set up by two shirtless men wearing gloves, drew a crowd.
Most people stood by, beers or phones in hand, watching and filming the fireworks.
The intersections have, for years, been popular gathering spots for the holiday. Last year, the police also dispersed a crowd after a large bonfire was set in the middle of the intersection at 24th and Harrison streets. SFPD said the revelers threw glass bottles and aimed fireworks in their direction.
On Tuesday, SFPD officers had assembled nearby on 24th Street earlier in the night, milling about and chatting to passers-by. The police assembly was larger than in past years, perhaps influenced by the recent mass shooting on the corner of 24th and Treat streets, in which nine people were wounded.
Police Chief Bill Scott had promised a larger police presence in the Mission following the shooting.
Shortly before midnight, the officers gathered on 24th donned riot helmets and blocked people from entering Harrison. They were joined by vans of other officers, and Captain Harvey announced an unlawful assembly just before 12 a.m.
“I am Captain Harvey, a police officer of San Francisco,” he shouted through a police siren. “I hereby declare this an unlawful assembly.”
Captain Harvey gave several warnings but, despite the bullhorn, they were largely inaudible where the main crowd was gathered, setting off rockets, cherry bombs, and other loud explosives.
The officers first advanced down the block, and then rushed the crowd. The captain continued to give dispersal orders throughout.
“All right, everyone, it’s time to leave the area,” the police announced over the siren. “You’ve been warned.”
The police seized corner after corner, moving from 25th and Harrison west to Folsom Street. At each intersection, the officers would slowly advance down the block, give dispersal orders, and then run to hold a corner. Officers lined up in a square pattern to hold each corner, blocking the crossings and shouting at pedestrians and drivers to turn back.
The initial crowd disbanded after the police first charged. As the night wore on, smaller groups congregated outside liquor stores and some corners.
Squad cars patrolled the nearby streets, and at least 13 motorcycle officers rode around the area.
After moving south on Folsom to 26th Street and dispersing a crowd gathered outside Rubins Market, the officers largely left the scene. At least 14 police SUVs and vans, packed full, drove away from Folsom shortly after 1 a.m.
A group of skateboarders, huddled outside the W-K Market on 24th, were the last to leave.
One man in that crowd, Jerry, who declined to give a last name, said he was on the corner of 24th and Folsom when an officer’s baton hit him in the knee.
“I was just chilling, minding my own business, on the phone with my pops, when a cop walking behind me said, ‘Stop! Stop!'” he said. “But I’m on the phone, and then I get a baton in the back of my knee.”
“They threw that shit,” he added, saying he had just gotten ACL surgery on that knee seven months ago. “That’s San Francisco police for you.”
The officers had told the skateboarders to leave the area. Once the police drove off, the group of a dozen or so skaters went back into the street, lighting off the last of their fireworks. A white car, parked nearby, revved up its engine, drove into the intersection to do a donut, and then sped off.
After about an hour, the bulk of the officers left in at least 14 SFPD SUVs and vans
— Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) July 5, 2023
Each car was packed full with officers pic.twitter.com/4e8LRnzZ6E
Re: the Valencia bike lanes
I’ve seen several iterations of Valencia, but this latest is the most dangerous by far.
Before it was even opened, I sustained a wrist injury from trying to cross (midblock) onto it, to escape the car lane.
It is poorly designed, and makes no sense (except, possibly, for commuters heading downtown, who have no plans to go shopping or dining in the nabe.
So, until it is removed, I will go back to my pre-MTA route of Lexington and Bartlett, which includes cycling the wrong direction at points..
When did SF come to be dominated by the disciplinarian scolds?
Anyone who ever has seen a block of buildings burn in San Francisco would remember it. Between the fireworks and encampment fires, I’m surprised that it hasn’t happened recently. Thanks to the police for doing their job.
Thanks for the article. It sounds like the police were doing their job. Side shows are dangerous. Fireworks are illegal. Large and out of control crowds should not be allowed to take over a city block without permission. I would suggest that Mission Local interview some Mission residents who were worried about their cars and property or who were trying to sleep on what is a work night for most people or who might have felt unsafe in the neighborhood due to a crowd that pays no attention even to police with blow horns in riot gear.
Yes you’re right
4th of July in the Mission used to be fun, but it’s gotten downright scary and I’m thankful the SFPD is intervening. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt, killed, or a home accidentally burns down.
Mission Local: Why are you only quoting partygoers in this article? Where are the interviews with Mission residents who are scared that their homes will be set on fire? Whose terrified pets hid under the bed all night?
Shame on Mission Local for this shabby and biased reporting. If you’re going to represent our community, you need to do better.
Dear “Mission Resident” —
While it seemed obvious, this is a breaking news story, meaning it was written quickly about an event that the reporter witnessed on the spot. As such, the people on the street would consist of police and revelers — the fearful Mission residents and their terrified pets were not roaming about 24th in their bathrobes looking for a reporter to opine to.
This is a fairly straightforward story recounting a police crackdown of an outlaw party. The fact you feel that some manner of condemnatory statement needs to be inserted into it is odd.
I’m sorry you feel this reporting is shabby and biased, but I have questions about your expectations on how a breaking story ought to work. We’ll do our best to represent the community — which transcends you and us both.
JE
Mr. Eskanazi, I greatly respect your journalism and understand your defense of this article. That said, It would be great if ML did a proactive report on how residents feel about the Fourth before next year. There seems to be a big split in those who are pro-fireworks and those that are anti-fireworks, although a consensus could be made that would be reasonable for all. Many of us residents met with the Police Captain in the days before this past Fourth to discuss our concerns and the meeting had a somewhat positive result, although it seems the city could do a lot better. The 4th has been a growing major concern for many of us as it’s gotten more and more dangerous, bat-shit crazy and vandalism-oriented. Many residents (including myself) now leave the city for the fourth and hope their homes don’t burn down, returning to a trashed and graffiti-ridden neighborhood.
I think that’s a solid idea, Adam.
JE
People who think they’re cool either don’t realize or don’t care that they very often are nuisances and sometimes dangerous. Good for the SF Police.
Any arrests or citations issued? Any one report injuries? Any complaints filed against SFPD with SFPD or DPA?
There should be complaints filed against the troublemakers
I live 2 blocks away from this and would much rather be kept up late once a year than have armed police attacking kids celebrating a holiday in the streets, these comments are honestly disgusting. Go back to next door
The Golden Gate Bridge awaits your flight.
I live 2 blocks away and am happy with the fact that they put this party to rest after midnight. Keeping the craziness off 24th – and having much less property damage and graffiti/tagging there – was also appreciated.
Agree
Thank you Capt Harvey for bringing some sanity to the annual craziness on that block!
Mostly peaceful protests.
It’s crazy how people are showing no respect for one another, and it seems to be getting worse.
Over and out.
The Mission sounded like a war zone last night.
Time for citations that are no less than ten thousand dollars. Hit them where it hurts. The wallet
This author clearly is on the side of those who exagerate police abuse and those who downplay the effects of lawless policies.
The comments to the article from people who actually live in this neighborhood make sense. A lot more sense than the manner in which the author framed this event.
Absolutely true about the reporter. Get both sides of the story including residents who felt like they were under siege by this crowd not just members of the crowd. Alleged Peaceful gathering with illegal fireworks after midnight including rockets and cherry bombs, sideshow, unlawful assembly declared, maybe crowd couldn’t hear the unlawful assembly order as the illegal fireworks were too loud, with boxing match, two women about to fight, public drinking, a woman who got pushed BUT why was she pushed because she was close enough to a police officer who was telling her to move on but she didn’t or she wouldn’t be pushed, was she injured – apparently not. How about talking to residents in the area and reporting how they felt when the cops came to move people on, guy gets hit with a baton because he is minding his own business, chilling talking to pops, reality is he was standing where he wasn’t supposed to as officers trying to break up the crowd and he ignored or was oblivious to what was going on about moving on, was he intoxicated? The neighborhood says thank you to Captain Harvey and the SFPD. By the way reporter, we’re any officers injured from the bottles raining down on them? Did you inquire to complete the story? Did the officers actually fire the bean bag or rubber rifles as you said they were aimed. If you don’t move on when advised and throw bottles at anyone, all bets are off because now it is a riot. Lucky as it appears no one was injured.
Good. We need more of this. Ask them to leave, tell them to leave, tell them you’ll make them leave, if they don’t, go in swinging clubs and aim for their heads. They’re throwing bottles, then complain the police push them or hurt them, good. Once bottles fly, it’s a riot. Put them in the hospital.
Totally agree
All while someone was shooting multiple bullets to the sky on Shotwell St a few blocks away. This is where the cops look the other way.
It’s about time. Actual Mission residents (versus people who live elsewhere and see us as their political football or out of control party hood) have been asking for SFPD to put the kibosh on this for years. Thank you SFPD!
I agree! I’ve lived in the mission 20+ years and it’s gotten dramatically more insane since the pandemic, with no respect for the WHOLE COMMUNITY, it needs to stop. Me and my kids can’t go outside or sleep on this awful day.
The police did the right thing. Thank you!
Yes. It’s time for community leadership and citizens to put an end to the irresponsible thugs that plague the Mission.
The tone of your article seems rather biased in favor of the miscreants. There are no close-up shots of those who are breaking the law. Who are these people ?
I would seem prudent for SFPD to simply close off that intersection every July 4th.
Fourth of July ‘celebrations’ of 2021 and 2022 were dangerous mayhem. The community met with Captain Harvey on 6/29/23 at Mercy Housing to discuss steps to manage the disrespect to the neighborhood. Local leaders posted to social media requesting respect. Mercy Housing has endured 3 straight years of significant graffiti vandalism.
Every year this gets increasingly out of control . If the sf per would simply arrest people setting off fireworks starting at 7pm it would likely not escalate. This is horrific for us local residents and especially our animals who are overstressed from the shots. I am doubtful that the revelries live anywhere in the neighborhood. For us long time and/or property tax-paying local residents the barrage of fireworks is a true assault on our neighborhood every single year.
Wait did I read that correctly “the crowd was rowdy but largely peaceful before SFPD intervention” wtf did I just read? LOL how is it rowdy and peaceful? This writer is ridiculous. How many people have been complaining about constant sideshows and how dangerous it is? How many stupid speed bumps are in neighborhoods because people can’t drive the speed limit? How many cars damaged and people who have been injured due to sideshows? How many people die from drunk driving? I don’t usually side with SFPD but I absolutely agree with them disbanding this peaceful party. I’m glad they had a great time but be mindful of others who live in that area. Not everyone wants to hear the peaceful screeching of tires and the calming sounds of fireworks.
You’ve obviously never been to a party.
Sounds like a pretty reasonable response. Let them party til midnight then shut it down.
I wonder how mission local would report the annual police-on-horseback sweep at Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Last night was totally unacceptable. You make it sound as if there was heavy handed policing, but there was hardly any policing at all, many and constant HUGE explosions, and constant illegal fireworks being let off in the middle of roads, to the great danger of people living in the buildings to either side, and it was not just Mission. One really big mortar type firework was let off just a few feet from my apartment window. I am still shaking. Tenderloin, Civic Center and Nob Hill was like living in a siege state warzone. It was terrifying and lawless and absolutely not enough was done to stop the dangerous lawlessness. It felt like The Purge here last night. Where were the SFPD?!
Way to go SFPD! Hopefully those involved with this annual mayhem will take it as a lesson and not try it again next year.
So that’s where all the police were last night. We sure could have used them last night here in the Tenderloin as the Honduran drug dealers took total control of a two-block area along Turk Street setting off a string of fireworks, yelling, selling drugs of course, doing drugs themselves and almost being boastful about controlling the streets and the night while we as residents whimper and whine in our apartments about the noise. No law enforcement whatsoever. The loud noise, fireworks and rowdiness from this cluster of Honduran drug dealers went on until about 4 am! Thank you, SFPD.
Holy crap- looks like a police state- like storm troopers, a war on a community for creating a ruckus, on people who were having a crazy good time. This kind of street party is what we can do for free, a celebration that working class and poor people can afford. Weird that people comment here that they’re happy about the massive police presence and militaristic suppression because they could get to sleep at their regular time.
A war on community creating a RUCKUS. people having a CRAZY good time. This was not a street party for all poor or wealthy, just ask us who live in the hood and not visitors, not everyone was having a good time. Ruckus and crazy is all you need to know to describe whether this is acceptable neighborhood behavior.
Disagree with the characterization of a crowd setting off explosives and performing sideshows as “peaceful”.
Thank you SFPD, some of us have to go to work the next day.
Ah yes.. another story where cops are the bad guys and revelers should be free to go on and on forever annoying most people need sleep to be able to work the next day.
There are other stories to do besides constantly reporting on how mean cops are.
You are correct, Brian:
1. “Cops are the bad guys” — correct!
2. “Revelers should be free to go on and forever annoy people” — correct! Except it’s not “forever,” it only goes on for a few nights.
I live 2 blocks from 25th and Harrison. I am greatly annoyed by the noise — also correct!
But who cares? It’s a few nights a year (or rather twice a year, including New Year’s Eve). I don’t live in a country club, and I expect a certain amount of noise and chaos in return for living in this beautiful, vibrant city. If it bothers you, may I politely suggest you choose a suburb.
Mark, this wouldn’t be problem if it was only fireworks. Did you only move recently?
Good. This good way out of hand last year. Thank you SFPD for your great work here.
My back yard and roof has burn cardboard tubes scattered everywhere. My dog was shaking and panting until the last of the fireworks after 2am. The cops were right to shut it down at midnight. There needs to be a hard stop at midnight, or some pre-determined time. It’s ridiculous, and I’ll bet most of the people blowing up our streets with fire and litter don’t even live in this neighborhood.
Glad to see the enhanced presence. Most of the people causing a ruckus don’t actually live in the neighborhood and come in to destroy our neighborhood.
JFC… I hate 🎆 as much as the next person, but this? This isn’t “Gestapo-like”, this is full-on military garrison activity.
So good to see London Greed and Crooke Jenkins being consistent with their support of the local militia SFPD.
How else are we supposed to get these party goes out of the neighborhood, and stop terrorizing everyone that lives there? Ask them nicely? Guess what, they did that, and they didnt leave.
I have such ambivalence toward SFPD, but I’m so tired of those who chose to make chaos and enact such noise and violence for everyone else. Yes, fireworks are an act of violence, they are not kind, they are extremely harmful.
We all know the reasons: the danger of fireworks around wooden buildings, what fireworks do to wildlife, affecting generationally tens of thousands of native birds, the toxic trash left for someone else to clean up, the terrible effect for children and elders, and the exhaustion of those who actually have to work the next day.
Blowing stuff up in the name of celebrating a nation in such turmoil — it isn’t a celebration at all, so let’s not pretend it is.
Better save your money, keep the peace, and be civically involved, vote.
Well said. To add to the commentary, these are not the bottle-rockets, firecrackers, nor roman candles of the past. Within the past 5 years or so these have escalated to professional grade fireworks set off by amateurs in dense, urban locations, where there is absolutely no business. Thousands of persons are negatively affected by the actions of a few.
Thank you Captain Thomas Harvey and SFPD for ending the chaos last night. Like others reading this story, I would ask that the SFPD be out earlier, and end these illegal activities well before they get out of hand. Give folks a warning, starting now that there will be a crack down on large scale, illegal , fireworks in SF. And then follow through in 2024 with enforcement.
There are plenty of other ways to celebrate the holiday that do not include artillery.
Good points!!
Thanks SF PD. I live in this area and the noise from the fireworks was overwhelming this year. The last noise I heard was at 2am.
Good work SFPD. These shytbirds have been running amuck for too long.
It was way out of hand last night and completely reasonable to shut it down.
The Mission has open drug dealing, open bike chop shops, regular speeding (with regular deadly impact), regular parking in bike lanes, regular vandalism of street safety equipment, regular window-breaking crime. And this is what they choose to tackle with a massive show of force?
I’ve lived within a few blocks of here for a decade, and I don’t *love* the 4th (especially when I had an infant) but it is part of the flavor of the neighborhood. The idea that this is a good use of police effort, when SFPD does so little for so many of the other actual problems of the neighborhood, is bonkers.
Good.
Wasn’t this only a block away from a recent “isolated” mass shooting?
As a resident of the Mission I appreciated more police activity in our neighborhood. The last couple of years have been plagued by bad actors who have badly bandalized our neighborhood.
Thank you SFPD. The streets should not be a free for all for explosives and potentially deadly amateur-hour stunt driving. If you want to party, great, do that at your house or a club. If you want to drift your car, there’s places for that too. Not on the streets where you could kill someone or light some innocent Neighbor’s house on fire.
I’m happy that this happened. I live near there and this is the first time in years that the noise on July 4 died down before 1 am. We could actually have a normal night’s sleep.
Local fireworks are great, and we like them, but midnight is a fair stopping point.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer group of people …
I’m reading the article, thinking the same thing
Since when is it OK to light fireworks on the streets? Did I miss the Memo?
Yes, Rebecca, in fact I wrote such a memo on NextDoor a few days ago, please refer to it: https://nextdoor.com/p/NL5_n4KzgzXh?utm_source=share&extras=MzkzNTM4MQ%3D%3D
I’ve lived on the block where this happened for a couple years. The police rushing crowds in riot gear on 4th of July on other holidays isn’t anything new. Last year there was a fire in the middle of the street on 24th and Harrison that melted the asphalt
We also have a “corner [which] has for years hosted July 4th fireworks” in my neighborhood. A couple neighbors blow up huge firecrackers at that spot every year, and everybody else in the neighborhood hates their guts. Just because it’s been going on for years doesn’t make it ok.