LOS ANGELES—An estimated 200,000 Dodger fans packed onto downtown sidewalks Friday—some crawling atop bus stop shelters or climbing light poles—to get a glimpse of the team and the World Series trophy in a long-awaited championship parade.
The procession began an hours-long celebration that culminated with a high-energy rally at Dodger Stadium, where a sold-out crowd roared in approval as the team took the stage and held the championship trophy aloft.
Many fans reported arriving in the downtown area as early as 4 a.m. to get prime locations along the parade route. By mid-morning, a throng of people had amassed throughout the downtown area and along the route.
With fans flocking to the parade—and a planned celebration at Dodger Stadium Friday afternoon—Metro trains and buses were packed as they headed toward downtown. Metro officials reported throughout the morning that parking lots had been filled at various stations stretching from North Hollywood to East Los Angeles.
“We had the day off and came to celebrate with our neighbors, and it looks like the rest of L.A. had the same idea!” Kristina Snelling, who came with her husband and two children, told The Epoch Times.
“Had to see this [event] for myself. There’s like no parking anywhere,” college student John Choi told The Epoch Times. “Just happy to be with friends and [the Dodgers] today.”
The parade, featuring team members riding atop double-decker buses, began shortly after 11 a.m. as the team was carried from Dodger Stadium to the downtown area. The caravan stopped outside City Hall, where Mayor Karen Bass—wearing a blue Dodger jersey—spoke to the crowd from aboard one of the buses, although she was barely audible over the cheering crowd.
Some Dodger team members could be seen in a partying atmosphere aboard the buses. The buses were showered with blue and white streamers as they pulled away from City Hall to begin the procession.
“I really feel like this ‘win’ is a big deal to [my family],” said Dodger fan Hector Ramos to The Epoch Times. “We were watching that final game not knowing what the outcome was going to be, and then in that fifth inning, the Dodgers took it home for us!”
The buses, all painted blue and proclaiming the Dodgers 2024 World Champions, were flanked by an army of police motorcycle officers.
The 45-minute procession moved south on Spring Street, then west on First Street, south on Grand Avenue and west on Fifth Street, ending in the area of Fifth and Flower streets, where the buses then got on the Harbor (110) Freeway and headed back to Dodger Stadium for a championship rally.
Los Angeles city officials estimated that 200,000 people attended the parade, which moved through the downtown area without any interruptions. According to the city’s Emergency Operations Center, 23 people received medical assessments during the event, and four people were taken to hospitals for undisclosed reasons.
Fox11 reported that a man suffered severe injuries when he possibly fell from the roof of a building near Eighth and Flower streets.
There was no immediate word on arrests, although police confirmed that one person was taken into custody near Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard for allegedly throwing a bottle toward law enforcement officers.
The afternoon Dodger Stadium celebration got off to a raucous start as rapper Ice Cube took the stage for a two-song performance—during which a dancing Dodger manager Dave Roberts joined him.
Afterward, the team and their family members entered the stadium from centerfield and walked to the stage positioned behind second base.
Dodger President/CEO Stan Kasten began the program, telling the crowd that all of his conversations with fans over the years has taught him one thing: “Every one of you cares just as much about being here today as everyone on this stage. Everyone one of you has waited for this day with as much anticipation as any of us involved with the organization, and all of us thank you all for that.”
World Series MVP Freddie Freeman—who had to leave the team briefly in July when his son was diagnosed with Guillan-Barré syndrome and fell seriously ill—had gracious words for the fans and their support.
“From the bottom of my heart, three months ago, when I came back after my son got sick, you guys showed out for my family,” he said. “That was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had on the field.”
He added, “I can’t wait to run this back next year.”
Japanese slugger Shohei Ohtani earned roars from the crowd as he spoke a few words of English from the stage.
“This is [a] special moment for me,” Ohtani said. “I’m so honored to be here and be part of this team.”
And the ceremony had an emotional moment when Dominican outfielder and slugger Teoscar Hernández was brought to tears as he told the crowd, “I just want to say thank you.”
With the crowd cheering him on, he said, “I play this game to win. And the Dodgers gave me the opportunity to come here so I can help this organization, this city, this team, these people win a championship. You guys made this dream come true. Thank you for making me a world champion.”
Dodger officials said a portion of the proceeds from the stadium event will be donated to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, “which is tackling the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos.”
The celebratory events were being held on the 64th anniversary of the birth of legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzeula, who died Oct. 22.
The Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five years Wednesday night and eighth in their history, overcoming a five-run deficit to defeat the New York Yankees, 7–6, at Yankee Stadium and win the best-of-seven series four games to one.
At least 12 people had been arrested in the celebrations following the Dodgers’ World Series victory, mostly for looting, Fox 11 reported.
In addition to looting and vandalism, the burning of a Metro bus was reported at 12:50 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, NBC4 reported. The bus was destroyed, leaving only the frame.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division reported a number of businesses near L.A. Live were looted and police arrested several of the suspected looters.
There were also reports of graffiti and street takeovers, with cars doing doughnuts and burnouts.
At Ninth and Flower streets, a dispersal order was issued due to an unlawful assembly and a hostile crowd that was throwing fireworks and projectiles at police officers, according to the LAPD.
