After the Dodgers clinched their first back-to-back World Series Championship, the ninth title in franchise history, exuberant Dodgers fans took to the streets to celebrate their team’s historic win against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Across the city, the sounds of fireworks signaled the win. Celebrations unfolded in downtown L.A, East Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, Echo Park, Van Nuys and other locations.
In Echo Park, blocks from Dodger Stadium, police shut Sunset Boulevard to car traffic in the middle of game 7. At least one area bar was told by authorities to turn off its outdoor screen during the ninth inning as a large crowd gathered.
As the last play of the game was made, fans at another Echo Park bar jumped up and down in excitement. Fireworks and car alarms filled the air as drivers honked their horns and cheers could be heard from all directions.
At Echo Park Blvd. and Sunset Ave., hundreds of fans flooded the closed intersection. In the middle, several men shot off fireworks every few minutes. The occasional car came by to revving its engine, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Police gathered a block away and began to establish a perimeter as a sideshow broke out in the intersection. Several young men leaned out of a car as it did donuts, and a few dozen people waved flags in a circle at the center of the action. Hundreds of onlookers gathered, many recording the action on their phones.
“It’s crazy out here, back to back,” said Dodger fan Steven Gomez of LA as he watched a firework explode overhead. “LA never gives up, man. Like Kobe said, the job isn’t finished.”
Gomez emphasized how nobody throws a celebration quite like his hometown. “This is LA. We love all coming out together as a community,” he said.
By midnight, police officers had used horses and tear gas canisters to disperse the crowds.
In Santa Monica, the iconic 90-foot-tall Ferris wheel at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier celebrated the team’s victory with a blue and white light display and a message that read: “Dodgers Win!’’ and “Go Dodgers!”
In an interview with KCBS-LA, Magic Johnson, co-owner of the Dodgers, said it was a special night for fans because no team had won back-to-back championships in 25 years.
“With the wildfires, we needed this too,” he told the news station. “This [helps] bring our city back closer together.”
Congratulations also came from the White House. “A lesser group of men would never have been able to win that game, or game 6, for that matter” President Trump posted to Truth Social. “So many stars made it all happen. Also, congratulations to ownership … SEE YOU ALL AT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!”
Fans celebrate as the Dodgers take the lead and eventually win the World Series in Game 7 at Tom’s Watch Bar in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.
(Jonathan Alcorn/For The Times)
City Mayor Karen Bass paired congratulations for the win with an immediate call for restraint.
“Once again, we showed the world that L.A. is the city of champions,” she posted to X. “Celebrate safely and responsibly tonight, Dodgers fans. LAPD is on heightened alert and coordinating with regional law enforcement. There will be no tolerance for anyone who tries to take advantage of this win.”
In anticipation of possible celebrations, the Los Angeles Police Department went on a citywide tactical alert shortly before 6 p.m., according to Los Angeles Police Officer Norma Eisenman.
The police department closed several streets around L.A. Live and Crypto.com Arena and rerouted LA Metro buses from Figueroa Street to Hope Street between Pico and Olympic boulevards. The hard closures also prohibited ride-sharing services from entering.
A Dodger fan celebrates in front of an LAPD skirmish line outside LA Live after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series.
(Jonathan Alcorn/For The Times)
LAPD said it closed the following streets: Pico Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard between LA Live Way and Grand Avenue, Flower and Hope streets between 9th Street and Venice Boulevard.
The police department later gave dispersal orders to people gathering along Figueroa Boulevard and at Chick Hearn Court.
In East L.A., the California Highway Patrol blocked off Olympic Boulevard at Atlantic Boulevard, an effort to divert traffic and prevent street shows. Even so, one car managed to stop in the middle of the intersection, spinning donuts while people set off fireworks, causing the crowd to cheer. A motorcycle followed soon after.
Shortly after 10 p.m. , Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies fired tear gas and moved in toward the crowd, causing people to walk away from the intersection. A small bush had caught fire. It was unclear what caused the fire.
After last year’s World Series win, there were several incidents of vandalism and multiple arrests. While the vast majority of celebrations were peaceful, some businesses were burglarized downtown and bus was set on fire in Echo Park.
The Dodgers clinched their ninth title after forcing game seven by beating the Blue Jays, 3-1, on Friday. The team’s victory on Saturday night also happened on Fernando Valenzuela’s birthday, the city’s beloved left-handed pitcher who died last year. A victory parade has been scheduled for Monday.
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