I think I heard about the drag racing with minibikes that ZipperJJ mentioned. I didn’t connect them with the term “takeover”, though.
In the SF Bay area these are called Sideshows (or maybe you mean something else, but that’s what it sounded like). It starts with a few cars doing donuts (I think that’s what it’s called, skidding around in circles and laying down rubber) in an intersection, and they are joined by random bystanders or others who heard about it on social media (I’ve never seen one in person so I don’t know how fast they build up). Cars get close to the action and then park in messy rows, blocking access by police vehicles, and on foot the police apparently can’t do much to break this up.
Different cities have tried different things, I don’t know how successful they have been, but some cars have been impounded and some drivers taken to jail for whatever charge. There are task forces and there are game plans and all that, I don’t know what has worked.
A couple of years ago there was a rash of “sideshows” (groups of cars taking over intersections, doing donuts, shooting off fireworks, etc) in the Bay Area. You could hear tires squealing from a mile away, and if they were in your neighborhood you could see smoke rising from the burnouts. Bystanders were getting injured and at least one passenger hanging out of a window fell out and died.
It took awhile but law enforcement stepped up and pretty much got things under control. There was a flare up with a new twist in San Francisco where dozens of dirt bikes would ride rampant down major thoroughfares, but that has died down I think.
I know nothing about what platform they were using, but I got the impression it was just a group of people posting, “Hey, everybody come to x location at y time.” Here in Chicago, it seems to most often be groups of young Black people who go to the downtown area or lakefront and just hang out. And probably do loud and stupid stuff like young people of all backgrounds tend to do in large groups.
It is often said that they lack recreational opportunities in their neighborhoods. Or that their neighborhoods are dangerous. Most of this sort of gathering just seems like a somewhat impromptu party. I think I read that this one at the pool was supposed to be aimed at certain college students, but it got publicized more widely.
The ones in Chicago would often take place in some of the most heavily trafficked tourist areas. ISTR one on Michigan Mile (which USED to be tony shopping), and in Millenium Park (a big park between downtown and the lake.)
I think these are a little different than the racing/doing donuts thing later at night in the street. And I think there used to be big street blocking celebrations for Puerto Rico Day or something. Come to think of it, didn’t there used to be some sorta thing called “mashups” or something, where folk would think it funny to get a whole lot of people to swarm a mall or something at a specific time?
Kinda related but kinda not - my city is a couple of towns to the east. Also, heavily white and upper class. Just to the east - on the other side of the expressway - are some much less wealthy, much more heavily Black towns. (In the Chicago area we have a long history of building expressways to segregate…) My sister lives in the same city as me. She was walking through a park on a recent Sunday morning and saw a group of Black folk setting up a picnic in a pavillion. Lots of grills and coolers, and some vehicles setting up bouncy houses. All of a sudden 5-6 cop cars zoomed up, lights and sirens going, and the cops hopped out garbed for battle. A couple of “concerned citizens” were sticking their noses in.
Turns out it was a church picnic. They had a permit for the pavillion, but not for the bouncy houses. And they expected attendees to exceed the 40-50 person limit. Now, anyone who uses the facilities ought to follow the rules. So these people likely overstepped. But my sister said it really was ugly to see our “finest” treat these folk like potential rioters, and the residents acting as they were. She left without waiting around to see what transpired.
Because bouncy houses just scream gang activity.
Yeah, but they might have had airsoft guns!
Or even worse, fully automatic Nerf rifles!
Even more worser, Super Soakers!!!
The streets would run clear with water!
And, there have been issues with those occurring in the city of Chicago over the last few years, too.
They’d probably sue the owners or operators of the pool.
Yeah - distasteful that the “concerned citizens” were likely motivated by skin color. But IMO, if the pavillions are designated for certain size groups and certain activities, ANYONE using them ought to follow the rules. I mean, these folk were responsible enough to get a permit. You’d think they mighta checked what was or wasn’t permitted.
I believe there is a separate permit that could have allowed the bouncy houses, but this group didn’t get one. Yeah, I would imagine the cops would not have been called had the picnickers been white. I was so happy to see that each ward in my city went blue last November. But the bluest one was no more than 56%. That means 4-5 out of every 10 of my neighbors is an asshole… 
And thanks kenobi - flash mob.
What, were they in SWAT gear? Guns out and nightsticks at the ready?
Or just wearing uniforms?
Based on seeing these covered in the news here in Chicago in recent years: these don’t seem to be gang-related (though I imagine that there may be some kids in them who are also gang members), and I don’t think that they are likely all kids who go to the same school.
Funny–I just cranked Quadrophenia last night for the first time in a long time. What a fantastic album! But, of course, it’s mostly about English gangs on scooters taking drugs and staging fights on the beach. And getting kicked out of the house by their parents. We don’t have tetra-ethyl-lead to blame, but everything old is new again. Boredom. Unemployment. The sense that society is passing you by. I don’t condone what these mobs are doing, but I did seriously stupid shit in my teen years, and I was a privileged (sorta) white kid in Maine.
I’ve heard of flash mobs but never heard of these youth takeovers.
New name for same exact idea.
Well, similar idea, anyway.
AIUI, at least when they first started becoming a thing, flash mobs were groups of people who coordinated together to suddenly assemble in a place, do something (a dance or whatever), and then quickly disperse afterwards. Takeovers seem to not feature the “quickly disperse” part of the flash mob idea.
Thank you! I am sometimes so far behind with some of this stuff.
Good point.
Although I totally remember in high school in the early 1970s that sometimes word would go around of a party at someone’s house on e.g. Saturday night upcoming. Which would quickly get out of hand as 300 kids from 8 surrounding high schools showed up at some suburban house where a few kids had planned on doing something mildly stupid while the parents were out of town for the weekend. Instead they got chaos, vandalism, arson, drugs, etc.
So the concept is hardly new, although the specific implementation might be.
Also, they make a point of including the term “youth”, playing into the fear/hate disdain our society has for younger people. We’re supposed to be afraid, not just annoyed because The Young Are Scary Criminals.
Once the police are involved. Once your child is trespassed, arrested or charged. Once they’re driving and making bad choices its too late.
I prefer my kids be taught to respect the authority/rules and others property, by me. Not law enforcement.
It starts when they are meer babies.
Where are the parents? If there are adults doing the “takeover” while in the company of children. That is doubly bad. Any adult arrested should get really slapped by the judge.
I assume Mom and Dad are not aware.
This is why home training is so important.
Names should be taken. Parents charged.
I know, I know. Not enough LE. Not enough money. Court dockets, yada, yada…
What happens when the kid who wasn’t “invited” goes home gets his Dads gun and shoots up the pool party?
LE would be there then. And a whole lot of money spent.
A little money finding safe recreating areas for young people would help.
I know teens. They’re not automatically gonna go were the sign says “safe for teens”. In fact they may actively not go.
But you gotta try.
But first…teach your children well.
If you don’t, some judge or warden will. If they live long enough.
IMHO
(P.S…it don’t make one bit of difference what color they are)