SALON

Monday, Oct 29, 2012 10:45 AM UTC

Fans fill SF streets to celebrate Giants’ win

By

Topics: From the Wires,

Fans fill SF streets to celebrate Giants' winSan Francisco Giants fans celebrate outside San Francisco's City Hall while watching a broadcast of the Giants facing the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of baseball's World Series on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. The Giants won the game to sweep the series. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)(Credit: AP)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of baseball fans took to the streets of San Francisco to celebrate the Giants second World Series title in three years as revelers gathered on street corners, in parks and at popular watering holes, while car horns blared long into the night.

Fans across the city left their televisions and rushed outside as the Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers Sunday night, greeting diners, bar patrons and other merry makers.

At Polk and Bush streets in the city’s Polk Gulch neighborhood, hundreds of fans sprayed champagne, set of off firecrackers and blocked traffic for at least two hours after the game.

Several blocks away, police clad in riot gear looked on as revelers danced around Civic Center plaza where they watched the game on the Jumbotron.

The thousands of fans assembled there exploded in a roar with the final out.

Anthony Yos, 10, hugged his brother Luciano Yos, 15 and the two danced in an embrace with their parents.

“This is the greatest thing,” Anthony said with a smile that could go no wider. “The Giants are my favorite team.”

Someone in the crowd launched fireworks a few minutes after the game and the park was awash with fans, strangers hugging strangers and wine bottles and marijuana cigarettes being freely passed through the crowd despite a heavy police presence.

“This is San Francisco, “said Laura Chu. “We know how to party.”

Sara Vivas brought her 6-year-old daughter Briana Cepeda from Oakland to view the game and join the celebration. They were both clad head-to-toe in Giants garb.

“This is something she will remember forever,” Sara said.

Bars of all stripes, from the Castro to Chinatown were packed with supporters of the beloved Giants.

So-called pedicabs whisked fans down roads blocked to traffic and revelers enjoyed a New Year’s Eve-like freedom to roam up and down streets usually clogged with traffic.

Small fires broke out in trash cans here and there, but the violence and vandalism appeared to have been kept to a minimum a few hours after the last pitch.

“We’re watching out for any major flareups and fires,” said police spokesman officer Carlos Manfredi. “We want to maintain public safety at all times, and don’t want to put first responders in any danger.”

He said police were responding to certain hot spots but had no reports of serious problems. No arrest figures were available.

KGO-TV reported that at least three bonfires flared on Mission Street with fans fueling them with couches, signs, newspaper racks, and other items. Firefighters had to be escorted in by riot police to fight some of the fires.

Mayor Edwin Lee announced the ticker-tape parade would be held Wednesday at 11 a.m., down Market Street to Civic Center Plaza

“The rain in Detroit couldn’t dampen the drive, talent and determination of the San Francisco Giants team tonight. Once again, the Giants brought our City together as we all cheered on our hometown heroes to another remarkable World Series victory,” he said.

The 2010 parade drew hundreds of thousands fans, who lined the streets of downtown San Francisco. The parade ends at City Hall.

The party started early in Civic Center park, with many showing up hours before the 5 p.m. game on a nice Indian Summer day in San Francisco, wearing shorts and t-shirts. The blankets and sweaters came out when the sun went down and the fog rolled in, but the chill didn’t damper the enthusiasm. Many in the crowd were carrying brooms in hope of the series sweep that came to be.

“We they were going to sweep,” said Elizabeth Choy-Lau, 32, of San Francisco. She and her husband were carrying brooms.

“There was no doubt,” said Steve Lau, 30.

The city’s ubiquitous food trucks did a brisk business and drummers of all types beat their instruments throughout the game.

“Where else in the world do you want to be tonight,” replied Dave Wormald of Toronto. Wormald and two other colleagues were in town for a business meeting and were watching the game at their hotel when they decided to embark for City Hall.

“This is the place to be,” said Jim Vliet, Wormald’s colleague.

Paul Elias

More Paul Elias.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Video of the Day

Watch More Here »

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
Check out the full Bank of America whistleblower details (affidavits) "Read former staff describe getting Target gift cards as a prize for foreclosing on people, and other awful schemes"
366 points367 points | 17 comments
vote
The full Bank of America whistleblower details (affidavits)
325 points326 points | 7 comments
vote
Study: Young people are more liberal than they think they are.
66 points67 points | 22 comments
vote
How cash secretly rules surveillance policy: Today's congressional hearing was a joke. The reason: Firms like Booz Allen bankroll and own Congress. Here's how
41 points42 points | 6 comments
vote
The internal war between House Oversight Committee chair Darrell Issa and ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings blew up again Tuesday, when Cummings released the full transcript of a five-hour interview with the conservative Republican IRS screening manager.
40 points41 points | 6 comments

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations