After the Dodgers won their eighth World Series, ecstatic fans took to the streets of Los Angeles, but their joy turned to anxiety across downtown Los Angeles.
Crowds gathered near LA Live, sometimes celebrating with fireworks. LAPD issued a dispersal order, but it took several hours to clear the streets.
A metro bus was set on fire and several stores were robbed and vandalized, but exact details have not been released. Police said some members of the crowd became “hostile” and threw objects at officers.
“Metro is disappointed and outraged by the senseless act of vandalism on one of our buses tonight following the Dodgers’ World Series win,” the Department of Transportation said in a statement.
Several people were arrested, but details have not been released.
Downtown has been the scene of unrest in the past after both the Lakers and Dodgers won championships.
Celebrations were held across the city Wednesday night, but most were uneventful.
The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5, becoming the first Major League Baseball team to win a World Series deciding game despite trailing by five points.
Fans flooded the streets near L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles and Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, dancing, setting off fireworks and cheering. In Highland Park, neighbors banged pots and pans on their balconies as fireworks, cheers and a chorus of sirens rang out. And in Little Tokyo, fans gathered near the Shohei Ohtani mural to celebrate their beloved player, who this year became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
Fireworks were set off across the city, rivaling Independence Day, and Los Angeles City Hall and the “D” of the Hollywood sign were lit up Dodger blue in celebration of the victory.
Dodgers fans celebrate in vehicles along Whittier Boulevard.
(Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times)
Officials shut down streets in East Los Angeles and parts of downtown in hopes of thwarting some of the more violent celebrations that occurred during the Dodgers’ championship in 2020.
Despite this, the energy of the fans could not be contained.
Fireworks started going off in East Los Angeles the moment Walker Buehler struck out Alex Verdugo to win the series. People streamed out of their homes and headed toward Whittier Boulevard, the East Side’s historic corridor.
Dodgers players celebrate winning the World Series in the Yankee Stadium locker room.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“This is just unbelievable!” exclaimed Jessica Gutierrez, 33, of Boyle Heights. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. You just have to be with your fellow Dodgers fans.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol blocked the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard in an attempt to prevent the cruise, but to no avail, and the vehicle simply made a U-turn on Hillview Boulevard.
Near Hefner Avenue in front of the Commerce Center, fans stood in the middle of Whittier Boulevard to record the parade as it passed. Even though it was too crowded for a full spin-out, the cars still spun their tires to burn rubber and the crowd cheered.
“Oh my god, that was the craziest game I’ve ever seen,” one fan told KCAL News at a viewing party in downtown Los Angeles.
The Dodgers parade scheduled for Friday will be the first in 36 years after hopes of a joint celebration in 2020 were thwarted by COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Tonight, we showed the world that Los Angeles is made of champions,” LA Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a statement to X. “Congratulations to the Dodgers on tonight’s win. We look forward to seeing you in LA again!”
In the game held at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, the team was trailing 0-5 after three innings, but the team made a spectacular comeback by scoring five runs in the fifth inning. They fell behind again, but made a comeback in the 8th inning.
“I was nervous! I was so nervous, but we kept the faith and luckily things went our way,” one fan told KCAL News at a Pasadena watch party. “I’m really happy and excited to win.”
Delighted fans gather at LA Live’s Tom’s Watch Bar in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
(Michael Blacksher/Los Angeles Times)
City News Service contributed to this article
