Newport Beach is a very wealthy, but not terribly large town located in Orange County, California. The median home price in Newport Beach is $3.7 million but the population is only about 80,000. Newport and cities nearby also have some famous beaches and draw in a lot of tourists and visitors in the summer months, especially on holiday weekends like the one we just had.
But Saturday night things got out of control. A bunch of teenagers seem to have decided to turn the beach and parts of the city into a free-for-all of rioting and looting local businesses. Hundreds of police were called in and eventually, the beach was closed and more than 400 people were arrested.
A large, rowdy July 4th celebration on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach erupted in chaos Saturday evening as fights broke out, fireworks were thrown into crowds containing police officers, and hundreds of people were reportedly arrested.
Video from the scene shows police on horseback charging into the crowd on the beach to break up unruly revelers. A nearby Pavilions supermarket on West Balboa Boulevard was ransacked.
“The situation escalated and police issued a “999” — an officer needs help call — prompting at least a hundred officers from surrounding agencies to converge on the location,” County News Service, a freelance videographer, reported.
Newport Beach apparently had a campaign going to prevent exactly this sort of situation.
Ahead of the holiday, city officials rolled out a “Not in Newport” campaign warning visitors that authorities would have zero tolerance for public intoxication, illegal fireworks and other nuisances. Fines for violations committed in designated safety enhancement zones across West Newport Beach and the Peninsula were tripled through July 6.
Obviously it didn't work. A spokesman for the police union indicated the city became part of a TikTok takeover.
“Yesterday, as our nation celebrated its semi-quincentennial with families and neighbors gathering peacefully, joyfully, and safely…a large group of agitators invaded Newport Beach, spurred on by an alleged “TikTok Takeover,” said Joe DeJulio, the President of the union representing police officers. “These persons came to our city with the intent on causing harm, injury, and destruction, bringing harassment, disturbances, and mayhem.”
The official police statement also seemed to indicated social media was involved.
Throughout the day, Fourth of July celebrations drew tens of thousands of residents and visitors to Newport Beach. Late in the evening, however, social media posts drew a large influx of juveniles and young adults to the Newport Pier area within a short period of time. As the crowd rapidly grew, individuals engaged in increasingly dangerous and unlawful behavior, blocking roadways, restricting emergency vehicle access and throwing explosive mortars, fireworks and other projectiles at police officers, into densely packed crowds and near families with children.
The sudden influx of thousands of people into a confined area within a short period of time created an immediate threat to public safety and required a coordinated regional law enforcement response. Following an unlawful assembly declaration, more than 350 officers from the Newport Beach Police Department and 17 regional law enforcement agencies worked together to clear the area, disperse the crowd, restore emergency access and protect residents and visitors.
More confirmation:
I've heard Multiple people across different platforms say the chaos in Newport Beach was an organized TikTok "Take Over" and was promoted days before the event. NBPD must have been aware, but was not prepared. #newportBeachtakeover #ticktoktakeover https://t.co/inkzbF5sDC
— Surflick (@Surflick) July 5, 2026
Apparently, the police started by trying to clear the beach with officers on horseback.
Scenes from the Wild West in Newport Beach this evening, which led to the city shutting all its businesses down around Newport pier up to PCH. Not one bar is open tonight in this part of Newport.
— Surflick (@Surflick) July 5, 2026
@herbertgcalderonu pic.twitter.com/oLmzMPfJyy
NEWPORT BEACH, CA: Mortars are currently being fired on the Balboa Peninsula. Thousands still remain on the beach. Massive police presence pic.twitter.com/jjzNsT92Hd
— James Klüg (@jamesklug) July 5, 2026
In some cases, officers trying to make arrests were mobbed.
4th of July in Newport Beach CA pic.twitter.com/HaDNKOFWBM
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) July 5, 2026
But once the beach was cleared, all those people just moved off the beach into the town. The result was looting of local businesses including this Pavillions grocery store.
Newport Beach 4th of July gone wild pic.twitter.com/o96WcVQtjW
— S. Hoak (@sarahhoak) July 5, 2026
Some kind of teen fight at another store which officers broke up.
Another Teen Takeover Happened at a Newport Beach Restaurant pic.twitter.com/u7suMpz6ma
— IamLegend 🇺🇸 (@DarkSideAdvcate) July 6, 2026
By the end of the night, hundreds of people were being arrested.
Police rounded up everyone in Newport Beach that didn’t follow orders on the 4th. #newportriot
— Surflick (@Surflick) July 6, 2026
Video: @bayana_jaradat pic.twitter.com/yPktptp2Cy
Apparently something similar happened in Long Beach, which is just about 20 minutes north. I've even seen some suggestions that the mob went to Long Beach first, found the police there weren't allowing them to get away with much and then headed south. I'm not sure if that's true or not.
It wasn’t just Newport Beach, there was chaos in Long Beach, California yesterday on the 4th of July too
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 6, 2026
A group of about 200 teens in Long Beach attacked the police, throwing objects at the police, fights broke out
This happened in Long Beach in the Belmont Shore area. Here is… pic.twitter.com/t3x4roeUfH
So this is what happens when the city was supposedly prepared for exactly this kind of behavior. It's hard to imagine what would have happened if they hadn't been prepared.
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