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Article Last Updated: 2/27/2006 03:32 AM

Sideshows plague Oakland streets

Police increase patrols to combat heavy crowds early Sunday morning     

, FROM STAFF REPORTS

Inside Bay Area     

OAKLAND - Several sideshows took over downtown Oakland streets early Sunday

morning, causing the police to beef up patrols to quell large crowds,

Oakland police said.

The first sideshow was reported around midnight Sunday morning at Club

Planet Soule at 14th and Franklin streets. Police said Oakland-based rapper

Too Short was performing at the venue, and his act attracted a crowd of at

least 550 people. Several hundred others were standing outside the club and

surrounding areas when the sideshows started.

All of the city's sideshow units were needed to silence the crowd, stop the

reckless driving and lighten up traffic in the area.

Shortly after the nightclub closed, sideshow activity resumed in the area.

Around 2 a.m., police in the downtown area reported sideshow activity

throughout downtown and near Jack London Square. Officers responded to a

number of calls of shootings, loud noise and gridlock throughout the areas

until around 3:30 a.m.

Then at 5 a.m., sideshow activity began again, this time in East Oakland

near High and San Leandro streets. A number of officers responded to reports

of loud music, gunshots and several traffic accidents.