See our photo essay from the night.
San Francisco police officers, as they do nearly every year, moved block by block and dispersed the hundreds of people who gathered on the streets of the Mission District for the annual July 4 fireworks shows.
Dispersal orders came a bit earlier than in past years, at about 10:45 p.m.; most years, it is nearer to midnight. Dozens of officers clad in riot gear and carrying batons moved in a cordon line from near Garfield Square Park, where they had assembled, to 24th and Harrison streets, the site of the main shows this year.
“Move! Move!” the officers yelled, advancing on the rapidly retreating crowd.
The revelers, who had congregated on several corners on and around 24th but were heaviest at Harrison Street and Treat Avenue, moved westbound on 24th. The police followed.
“We are closing the street and moving our officers forward to take the intersection at 24th and Treat,” blared a police captain through a megaphone, before the officers advanced further. “Please move westbound towards Folsom.”
There were more than a dozen police cars, SUVs, and white vans transporting masses of officers. Several cops circled the neighborhood in motorbikes. Some of the police officers carried less-lethal rifles. Drones buzzed overhead, surveilling the gatherings.
Some members of the crowd taunted and jeered at officers. One person bent over feet away from their line and started twerking. But the dispersal orders were, at least on 24th, without real incident.
As people moved away from the police and towards Mission Street, they continued setting off the occasional fireworks just a block away from the officers. Stragglers, including one particular group of teens on scooters, lit more in the surrounding blocks despite patrolling police cars and roving groups of officers.
But the crowds were soon gone. By 1 a.m., a city truck drove down an empty 24th Street and sprayed water onto the pavement, followed by a street sweeper brushing away the debris.
The police department said there were no arrests.
Fireworks are illegal in San Francisco, as in the rest of the state. The San Francisco Police Department warned residents this year against setting them off, and city hospitals routinely take in patients on July 4 with missing fingers and other fireworks-related injuries.
Earlier in the night, the parties had been lively. Hundreds of mostly young people set off hundreds of pyrotechnics and noisemakers. Groups of teens zoomed down the crowded streets on lime-green Lime scooters. People climbed traffic lights to watch the shows, the taquerias were crowded, and many light beers were had.
On a bench at 24th and Harrison, Yesenia and Jasmine, both Mission residents, arrived at 9 p.m. to secure a front-row seat.
“This is the best block in the world,” Jasmine said. “It’s the only place I want to be.”
“It’s just a beautiful thing to see,” Yesenia added. “At the end of the day, this isn’t about celebrating America or fireworks, it’s really about seeing the neighborhood come together.”
Elsewhere in the city, blocks-long lines of cars clogged northbound lanes, making their way to the Golden Gate Bridge for the city-sanctioned show.
I work at SFGH– lots of peoples lives changed forever as result of losing eyes, hands and fingers– to illegal fireworks. EVEY YEAR. Super sad and really unnecessary, but– ya know… fascism.
The one time they use the police its to combat patriots.
Do you know your beat cop ?
Of course not because you don’t have one.
It’s the main reason San Franciscans no longer trust SFPD.
We had Foot Patrols from 1880 to 1960 and we should bring em back.
The Mayor’s sweeping reforms in his coming November legislation is closing the paths to a citizen/voter return to influence a return to a beat cop City.
We need an elected Police Chief and only Mayor Lurie has the power to give the people a say in the matter.
Top Cop on the ballot would be the most consequential matter for neighborhoods like the Mission ever.
Elect our Police Chief !!
go Niners !!
h.
Fireworks are not completely illegal in California. Safe and sane (aka boring) are allowed in some cities.
Twerking 😂
Thank You Street Cleaners
Thank You SF/ Mission PD🔦
Drugs have ruined our public life and allowed paramilitary responses to everything.
This year I could get to sleep earlier than usual on July 4! Thank you SFPD!
I was there tonight. I asked one cop after the sweep, “It’s a great night for overtime, eh?” His response: “I don’t want to be here.”
The dispersal of the crowd was completely unnecessary. It would have died down in a half hour or so. How much did this absurd act of pointless policing cost our cash-strapped city? Seriously?
How long have you lived in the Mission? I’ve been here for almost 20 years. The illegal fireworks usually last until at least 2am. Never have they ever self-terminated by 11pm. Many people in the neighborhood simply leave town, especially if they live at Harrison and 24th. The dispersal of this crowd cost significantly less than the joke of a show with the legal fireworks at the bridge. Both types of fireworks are an absolute scourge to the quality of life of people and animals living here.
It’s a preventative move. Fireworks in the mission have caused significant property damage many times.
It’s also illegal, as noted in the article. You can disagree with the law, but the fact that police let people go off for hours before closing it down to prevent things from getting out of control (as they have numerous times), is pretty reasonable.
Why weren’t these cops in the white yuppie neighborhoods where they were needed towing Waymo’s, directing traffic and keeping intersections safe?
And Ovean Beach and the closed road are complete disaster zones covered by trash after hours of the new outer aves bougie crew wrecked the place.
There were cops all over the Marina handling the crowds over there for the legal fireworks.
The point is to demonstrate class power via state apparatus. The more unnecessary, the greater the imperative.to deliver the lesson that this power wlll be deployed capriciously, so stay in your lane, be a good consumer, and keep your mouth shut.
Has anyone asked why all the city-sanctioned World Cup watch parties are along or near the Bay in white/Asian yuppie neighborhoods, while the city has completely ignored the Mission – where there is possibly a higher percentage and number of real soccer fans than anywhere else in the city, and maybe the US outside of LA and San Jose, and where there are actual, you know, soccer fields?
Dolores, Franklin Square (which is basically just a soccer field), Potrero del Sol – so many places would be excellent sites for public watch parties for families in the Mission. Why is Ref Lurie giving the Mission a red card?
Two beers. Maybe you have only lived in the US and this city only. Soccer is popular through out the world except in the US. Note the ones going into next round are mostly Europeans countries, mostly white. African,and yes, Asian countries did well. Japan, South Korea almost made it. Hong Kong, China fans are glued to the TV. Japan had their fan watch party. Other countries also. So your point about fans are mostly in the Mission isn’t exactly correct.
two beers. Why drag the White and Asian narrative in again? There were different races of people including Latinos at Chase center and other venues all over… what’s your real point by focusing on these 2 races? Divisive? Why need to talk about sanctioned by the city or not? Real fans will watch wherever they like and not caught up by the things you talked about. The bars and businesses in Mission appreciate having customers.
Why weren’t these cops in the white yuppie neighborhoods where they were needed towing Waymo’s, directing traffic and keeping intersections safe?
How many fires started by illegal fireworks did SFPD prevent?
Mission Local supports lawbreakers and prefers comments by people who support lawbreakers, so this comment won’t run. But you don’t represent San Francisco. Not all of us agree with you that crime is OK.
Couldn’t agree more. There have been numerous fires on Bernal Hill, not to mention the distress to pets and wildlife caused by fireworks. Last year there was a fire along Bernal heights Blvd. and a few years ago it took many firefighters to extinguish a fire on the hill that threatened nearby homes.
I wish the police would have allocated more resources in my neighborhood. Last night the bombing of Bernal lasted until at least 3:15am.