Nearly 150 arrested after TikTok birthday invite draws huge crowd

Huntington Beach, California – Nearly 150 people were arrested in Huntington Beach, south-east of Los Angeles, on Saturday after a man's TikTok video inviting people to his birthday party went viral and the city was overrun with unruly revelers, prompting authorities to issue an emergency overnight curfew, police said.

Police arrested nearly 150 people in Huntington Beach after a TikTok birthday party invite went viral (collage).
Police arrested nearly 150 people in Huntington Beach after a TikTok birthday party invite went viral (collage).  © Screenshot/Twitter/brandonpromo

On May 19, a user called adrian.lopez517 posted a TikTok inviting people to "pop out n celebrate my b day!! !! !!" The video quickly went viral and its impact spread from the virtual world to the real one.

The event drew at least 2,500 people, who initially gathered at the beach and then moved to the downtown area, the Huntington Beach Police Department said in a news release.

Some people allegedly threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at police officers, prompting a request for assistance from other agencies, according to the Police Department.

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More than 150 officers from virtually all agencies in Orange County responded, police said. They had been standing by after police became aware of the social media posting earlier in the week.

Police declared an unlawful assembly in the downtown area at 7:13 PM and put the curfew in effect at 11:30 PM for everyone in the area of Beach Boulevard to Goldenwest Street and Pacific Coast Highway to Yorktown Avenue. The curfew expired at 5:30 AM Sunday.

The charges for the 121 adults and 28 juveniles taken into custody included vandalism, failure to disperse, curfew violations, and fireworks offenses, police said.

No significant injuries were reported, but multiple downtown businesses and police vehicles were vandalized, along with a lifeguard tower, police said.

Cover photo: Screenshot/Twitter/brandonpromo

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