Hundreds Arrested After Fireworks Thrown into Crowds at Newport Beach

Hundreds of people were reportedly arrested after fights, disruptive crowds, and fireworks thrown into crowds that included police officers prompted a large law enforcement response during a July 4 celebration on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California.

Footage from the scene showed mounted police moving into crowds on the beach as officers attempted to disperse unruly revelers. Pavilions supermarket on West Balboa Boulevard was also ransacked during the disturbance.

Police issued a “999,” an emergency call indicating that an officer needed assistance, according to County News Service, which the Orange County Register described as a freelance videographer.

“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 reported.

Newport Beach police received assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, while a Huntington Beach police helicopter also aided the response, Newport Beach Mayor Pro Tem Noam Blom said.

Blom, who was at the scene, said people threw fireworks into groups that included police officers, though the officers did not appear to have been deliberately targeted. ABC7 reported that some officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

Blom said hundreds of people were arrested but did not provide a specific number. The Orange County Register reported that a Newport Beach police spokesperson could not be reached Sunday morning.

It was not clear where the disorder initially began. Authorities apparently closed portions of the beach between the Newport Pier and 34th Street at approximately 7:00 p.m., after which large and unruly crowds moved onto nearby roads, according to Blom.

People in the area described widespread closures, heavy police activity, and severe traffic congestion.

“Newport (Peninsula) had a literal riot and the entire place is locked down with more cops than I knew existed, most insane I’ve ever seen down here,” one Reddit user wrote Saturday evening. “No one can come or go right now, it’s all shut down. Cops are out in riot gear and they had to call other cities to help.”

The same user said they encountered a checkpoint while trying to return home.

“I had to drive through a checkpoint with heavily armed police to get home, I don’t know how it got so out of control but it’s gridlocked right now,” the user wrote.

Another Reddit user, who said they were driving for Uber, reported seeing unusually large fare surges originating from the area.

“This explains a lot. I was doing Uber and was getting insane surges from that area, and wasn’t even remotely close,” the user wrote.

The incident followed previous efforts by Newport Beach officials to curb parties and disruptive behavior in areas popular with vacationers.

City leaders established “special enforcement zones” in response to earlier problems and approved stricter enforcement measures and increased fines earlier in 2026 for violations in areas including the Balboa Peninsula, West Newport, and Corona Del Mar.

Officials said at the time that many vacation rentals were being used for house parties. The rules also included stricter conditions for short-term rentals.

The city had previously recorded approximately 500 arrests during spring break in 2025. The July 4 holiday in 2025 resulted in 76 arrests.