Plan B Forum

World Series late-night celebration becomes ugly scene
By J.K. Dineen, Kale Williams, Evan Sernoffsky and Peter Fimrite

The joy that erupted in San Francisco after the Giants won Game 7 of the World Series quickly turned into the same kind of rollicking orgy of fire, broken bottles, fistfights, sirens and drunkenness that the city endured after the last two world championships.

Crowds of partyers set bonfires and rampaged through the Mission District, South of Market area and around AT&T Park, where the Giants thrilled their fans this season. Most of the celebrants were peaceful early on, but just as in 2010 and 2012, thuggery increasingly replaced level-headed revelry as the night grew late.
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Two men were treated at San Francisco General Hospital for gunshot wounds that weren’t life-threatening, according to police. One of the victims was shot in the arm in the Mission District at about 8:45 p.m.

Also, police said, a man was stabbed several times at 24th and Valencia streets. He was taken to S.F. General with serious injuries.

Police made several arrests throughout the night. Some officers hit by tossed bottles and fireworks suffered minor injuries, and one was hurt badly enough to be taken to the hospital, said Police Officer Gordon Shyy, a department spokesman.

The heavy stench of booze and marijuana filled the air everywhere the rowdy crowds gathered. Those people not inclined to break things headed home soon after the first spasm of celebration, casting nervous glances at the edgy celebrants staying behind — and then the real troubles began.

The most raucous area was Third and King streets, where thousands of fans sprayed sparkling wine and beer on one another, smashed bottles, lit fires and set off fireworks, prompting police in riot gear to move in and set up a perimeter. The crowd, which included several small children riding on their parents’ shoulders, huddled close as several people swung burning shirts over their heads, waved Giants flags above the fire and chanted obscenities.

Fistfights broke out, and at one point someone threw a large mortar-style firework into a bonfire and it exploded, forcing people to jump back and take cover.

Shortly after 11 p.m., helmeted cops lined up three rows deep, prompting drunken rowdies to begin hurling bottles, some shattering on the street and others hitting officers.

Manny and Michelle Gomez held their sleeping 2-year-old daughter Analise as chaos broke out around them.

“We drove down to join in the celebration, but we're definitely keeping our distance to stay safe,” said Michelle, who seemed shellshocked. “We can have fun, but sometimes there's a limit.”

Justin Crisostomo and his fiancée Christina Wong stood a short distance from the mob on King Street.

“We're worried about the glass,” Crisostomo said as a fight broke out right next to him. “That's a little troubling.”

By 11:30 p.m., police formed a skirmish line and scattered the bottle-slinging rioters.

The heart of Market Street was filled with blaring sirens as police officers and firefighters dashed around tamping down fires and breaking up boozy brawls. Most bus service in the city was suspended, yet windows were broken on at least one coach at Civic Center plaza.

At one point, Police Chief Greg Suhr had to defuse a tense situation himself. He confronted a dozen kids hanging onto a car on Market Street swearing at “pigs” and ordered them to shut off the music and leave or they would be arrested.

Meanwhile in the Mission District, exuberant revelers shutting down the intersection of 24th and Mission streets, chanting “Let’s go Giants” and “MadBum, MadBum, MadBum!” Police quickly flanked the frenzied fun-lovers, but their presence had little effect on the joyous party. Champagne bottles popped, fireworks went off and a trash fires were ignited, said Officer Shyy.

On Mission Street between 18th and 19th, a large crowd gathered and dragged an already half-burned couch into the street to chants of “Burn it! Burn it!” One woman pleaded with the crowd not to set it aflame.

“This isn’t how we celebrate, y’all,” she said to the crowd. “We’re better than this!”

“Calm down, lady,” was the response from one young man intent in seeing the burn. “It’s just a couch.”

Within minutes it was in flames. Revelers danced wildly around it.

A police helicopter with a search light flew overhead. The crowd whooped, cheered and waved at the helicopter, chanting, “Go Giants!” As lines of cops moved in they were met by flurries of hurled bottles.

The crowd eventually resettled on Valencia Street, where cars spun donuts and a huge bonfire broke out. A mob of people blocked the roadway at 16th and Guerrero streets. Police barred traffic for awhile on Mission and Valencia at Cesar Chavez Street while they dealt with the roaming hordes.

Some in the mob brought a large sign that read "SFPD" with a giant X through it, and that too was soon on fire. As police formed another line to clear 19th and Valencia, a fresh hail of bottles rained down on them before the rioters eventually were scattered to the side streets.

By 1:30 a.m., the crowds throughout the city had dwindled to a few handfuls of agitators being closely watched by police.

Lord Jim wrote:Not looting, but unfortunately some violence, vandalism and bottles thrown; mostly concentrated in one area of town:

At least two people were shot and one stabbed as San Francisco burst into spontaneous celebrations, with fans flooding the streets following the Giants' World Series victory over the Kansas City Royals, reports CBS SF Bay Area.

A gunshot victim walked into San Francisco General Hospital during the celebrations, saying he'd been hit while in the city's Mission District, the station says, adding that he is expected to survive.

Earlier, someone was shot in the arm, also in the Mission District. That victim's wound was also thought to be non-life-threatening, police spokesman Gordon Shyy told the station. The shooter was at large, Shyy said.

In addition, one person was stabbed, but no information was available on the severity of that wound, Shyy said.

The revelry was blocking traffic around Civic Center, in the Mission District and on Market Street within walking distance of AT&T Park.

Several arrests were reported.

Fans also set fire to a couch in the Mission District and set other bonfires. In some places, people climbed on top of buses, cars and street signs. Firecrackers were set off.

There were reports of bottles being thrown at officers in some instances. Police were seen in riot gear in the Mission District and on Market Street, says CBS SF Bay Area.

After the team won the Series in 2012, vandals caused widespread damage in the city, including setting a city bus on fire.

For the most part, though, Wednesday night's celebrations were joyous and peaceful.

I'm sensing a pattern...

I strongly suspect that the shootings, (and possibly the stabbing as well) were the result of gang members using the cover of the police being busy with crowd control to settle scores. (The burning couch may have been a diversion)

This wouldn't be the first time this has happened; the Mission District is a hot bed of gang activity, and a handful gang bangers using the cover of large night time celebrations to conduct attacks has resulted in the city sadly clamping down on what were very festive outdoor large celebrations. (like Halloween and New Years Eve. When I first moved out here in the late 80's, The Castro was "the" place to be on Halloween, gay or straight; a great time. Now they close all the bars and police line the sidewalks cracking down on people drinking in public to keep the crowd size down.)

As is so often the case nowadays, a handful of assholes have to ruin things for everyone...