San Francisco police officers dispersed hundreds of people who gathered on the streets of the Mission District for the annual July 4 fireworks shows. The dispersal orders came earlier than in past years, at 10:45 p.m.

Dozens of officers clad in riot gear and carrying batons moved in a cordon line from near Garfield Square Park to 24th and Harrison streets, the site of the main shows this year. The officers yelled, “Move! Move!” as they advanced on the rapidly retreating crowd.

The police followed the crowd as they moved westbound on 24th. A police captain announced through a megaphone, “We are closing the street and moving our officers forward to take the intersection at 24th and Treat. Please move westbound towards Folsom.”

There were more than a dozen police cars, SUVs, and white vans transporting masses of officers. Some police officers carried less-lethal rifles, and drones buzzed overhead, surveilling the gatherings.

Some members of the crowd taunted and jeered at officers, but the dispersal orders were, at least on 24th, without real incident. As people moved away from the police and towards Mission Street, they continued setting off the occasional fireworks just a block away from the officers.

Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.