Cars set on fire at multiple Oakland sideshows

Cars set on fire at Oakland sideshows

Cars set on fire at multiple Oakland sideshows.

Cars were set on fire and Oakland police were seen making several arrests Saturday night at multiple sideshows across the city.

Video taken at some of the events showed at least three cars ablaze. In one scene, a young man jumped on the roof of a car as flames spiraled behind him.

There were sideshows that began about midnight and lasted through 9 a.m. Sunday morning at locations that included 40th and Broadway, and then under the I-880 freeway at Castro and 7th Street, where police dispersed the crowd within 25 minutes and 10 minutes, respectively, video shows.

There were other sideshows where spectators gathered and drivers drove in screeching circles at Claremont and 62nd Street, Excelsior and MacArthur Boulevard, and Mandela and 7th, where people were setting off fireworks at some of those locations.

About 3:30 a.m. drivers were seen at Foothill and HIgh Street, where many cars and spectators jammed the intersection. Police arrived about 4:40 a.m. and blocked every direction of High and Foothill streets, blocking drivers from leaving.

Video shows that some of the attendees tried to escape by driving through a narrow path, but police were able to catch them, and put some people in handcuffs. At one point, the driver of a white Infiniti rammed his car into patrol cars before leaving the scene.

Video shows that driver then returning toward the officers, prompting police to fire some type of projectile toward the car.

Oakland police have not directly responded to KTVU for details about what happened but were overheard at some of the scenes saying they would release the spectators after citing them for participating in sideshow activity.

Cars were set on fire and Oakland police were seen making several arrests Saturday night at multiple sideshows across the city. April 13, 2024. Photo: AIO Filmz