OPD break up Park Boulevard sideshow with lights and sirens

OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police can be heard breaking up a sideshow over the weekend on Park Boulevard – the second at that intersection in less than a week – with their lights and sirens flashing.

A resident, who asked not to be named, shared video of the spectacle on Park at Spruce Street and 7th Avenue on Saturday night during moderately heavy rains.

He shot the video from his rooftop garden.

It's unclear if any arrests were made, but the sound of police sirens can be heard on the video, and it's clear many of the drivers dispersed.

The same resident snapped photos and took video of a daylight sideshow on Jan. 28, where dozens of people came out to watch, cell phones in hand..

He said Park Boulevard has become a magnet for sideshows in the last couple of years as Oakland city crews have paved over the potholes, creating a nice, smooth surface for all kinds of drivers, sideshow drivers included. 

While many say that sideshows embody a long, storied history in Bay Area culture, others, especially law enforcement, note how dangerous illegal driving can be. 

Sideshows throughout the region have attracted people with guns and have ended up in violence, and sometimes death.

Last month, a teen was struck by a stray bullet at another sideshow in Oakland on 45th and Market streets. 

Some cities, such as San Jose, announced a new initiative to curb sideshows that involve asking social media companies to remove such videos, or limit their sharing.

And San Jose has already outlawed participation, promotion, and being a spectator at sideshows. 

But many people who’ve grown disgruntled with efforts to end this type of crime are asking, is any of this working? 

An impromptu sideshow created a lot of black, circular marks on the street and drew out dozens of residents, as well as police in a residential neighborhood on Park Boulevard. Jan. 28. 2024