Violence and looting erupt following Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series victory | US News
The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured their second baseball World Series victory in five years, but the post-game celebrations were marred by looting and violence.
The Dodgers clinched the title by defeating the New York Yankees 4-1 in the final series in New York on Wednesday night, US time.
However, shortly after the game concluded and jubilant Dodgers fans poured onto the streets to revel, reports emerged of a bus being set ablaze, shops being looted, and fireworks being launched at law enforcement officers in scenes of “complete chaos” in downtown LA.
Los Angeles Dodgers players celebrate winning baseball’s World Series. Pic: AP
By approximately 10.45pm, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had received reports of “looting at several stores in the area of 8th and Broadway”.
In an attempt to disperse the crowd, the LAPD ordered people to “leave the area immediately,” and shared a video of looters ransacking a Nike store where a door had been dismantled for thieves to gain entry.
A Dodgers fan celebrates in Los Angeles. Pic: Reuters
Several dispersal orders were issued at various locations in the city, including streets near Dodger Stadium in the Elysian Park area.
Amid the chaos, a bus was set on fire.
An eyewitness and LA resident, Taylor Rosa, 27, described the scene as “absolute chaos” to Sky’s US partner network NBC News, recounting people “getting out of control, looting, and climbing on top of a bus.”
Responses on Instagram included comments like “damn embarrassment” and “they act like the Dodgers lost.”
Throughout the night, multiple arrests were made in Echo Park and the downtown area, as reported by the Los Angeles Scanner account.
The LAPD later mentioned encountering a “hostile crowd” and facing “various projectiles,” such as rocks and bottles, being hurled at officers.
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Meanwhile, two Yankees fans missed the end of the series after they were banned for interfering with play during the fourth match, the New York team’s only win.
They grappled with the Dodgers’s Mookie Betts as he tried to catch a shot by the fence at the Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.
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As Betts leapt at the wall and caught the ball, one fan grabbed his glove with both hands and wrenched the ball out, as another grabbed Betts’s other hand.
They were thrown out of the game and banned from the next one.
The Dodgers beat the Yankees 7-6 in game five. Pic: AP
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani with the trophy. Pic: AP
The last time the Dodgers won the championship in 2020, the season was cut short due to the COVID pandemic, which prevented them from holding a victory parade.
This year’s parade is scheduled to take place on Friday.
