Social media cited in Newport melee

Local police trying to figure out why throngs converged July 4, leading to 402 arrests.

- By HANNAH FRY AND RICHARD WINTON

A BIKER RIDES past a full trash can on Oceanfront Boardwalk after a chaotic Fourth of July weekend.

Newport Beach police are used to crowds on the Fourth of July.

But they were not expecting the thousands of teenagers and young adults who descended on the city Saturday, leading to hours of chaos and vandalism that some say is the worst the city has seen in years.

Authorities are still trying to determine what drew so many people. The Newport Beach Police Assn. blamed a viral “TikTok takeover” on social media that attracted crowds. It’s still unclear whether a single post was the draw or how it was organized, and police said the investigation is ongoing.

Newport Beach police routinely monitor social media, but saw no early indication that such massive crowds would be arriving on the Peninsula.

And that may have been by design. According to some law enforcement experts, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find such posts in a world of private chat groups and apps.

People are increasingly planning meetups on Signal, WhatsApp and Discord, which aren’t publicly viewable, said Mike Parker, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department commander.

“Monitoring takes time and cops have to find ways to become members and that is very hard,” he said. “So now you add into the equation that people are available that day and it sounds fun. People are hyping it up. Add in the hot weather and the beach would be a relief.”