16 Arrested at TikTok New Jersey Beach Party

gamerant.com:

A wave of warm weather hit New Jersey this past weekend, prompting TikTok users in the Garden State to gather in a massive crowd at the shore-side town of Long Branch. The TikTok event titled the “Beach Linkup” resulted in 16 arrests and a 9 PM curfew implemented by the town’s governing bodies. In the days following the incident, the township of Long Branch is still recovering from the ensuing riots.

TikTok is often the cultural source for new internet trends, gaming content, and in this instance, massive gatherings. As a social media platform where almost anyone can rapidly go viral, TikTok is frequently used as a highly efficient mode of advertising for brands and event organizers seeking a quick way to spread news and gauge interest in their ongoing endeavors. This weekend’s chaotic “pop-up party” in New Jersey is among a handful of unauthorized events drawing crowds in the thousands originating from viral posts on TikTok.

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May 21’s “Beach Linkup” was advertised as an event for music, fun, YouTubers, and “Good Vibez,” with one Instagram post receiving two thousand shares in one hour. Beachgoing New Jersey residents taking advantage of the warm weekend flooded Long Branch along with party-ready TikTok users. Long Branch’s resulting crowd had numbers reaching almost five thousand in attendance. The aforementioned “Good Vibez” quickly deteriorated, leading to small-scale violence and vandalizing of police vehicles as authorities attempted to control the situation. As the dust settled in Long Branch, 16 people were arrested, including eleven adults and five underage attendants.

In the interest of public safety, Long Branch police issued a 9 PM curfew which was lifted at 5 AM on the