The Giants Win, and Then the Trouble Starts

It's a ritual now: The San Francisco Giants win the World Series, and joyful revelers take to the streets.

And then the revelry turns into something different: drunken crowds, street fires, dangerous fireworks, escalating vandalism and violence.

The disorder first draws a response from the police, who arrive en masse, then a counter-response from the crowd in the streets -- which last night took the form of barrages of bottles that occasionally hit police officers and bystanders alike.

Yes, there were lighter moments before missiles filled the smoky air in the Mission and around AT&T Park. Fans drenched each other in champagne. A sound system at 16th and Valencia streets blasted Queen's "We are the Champions" as fans sang along from atop a nearby bus stop. Good times.

And then came the other stuff -- some of which is recorded below in pictures by KQED intern James Tensuan, who was in the Mission after the game. Police Chief Greg Suhr said Thursday that three police officers were treated and released after being struck by flying bottles.

"There were as many bottles thrown at police officers last night as I can remember," Suhr said. "And it is disgraceful when you think, we're fans, too, and we're out there doing our jobs. And somebody could get seriously injured or killed."

San Francisco police reported two shootings and one stabbing, and say they made a total of 35 arrests during the postgame melees. Six of those were on felony charges, the remainder for public drunkenness.

Why does this happen?

Well, beyond the alcohol factor, your guess is as good as ours. Mission Local staff share their observations on the evening (immediately below) and offer a couple theories on causes. We'll add only that next time this happens -- in a couple years, when the Giants Even-Year Dynasty is due to triumph again -- maybe the city can send out teams of sociologists and anthropologists to investigate what's going on out there.