25 teenagers charged after TikTok-fueled street brawl in Da Nang

Provocations on TikTok escalated into an armed street brawl in Da Nang, where two groups of teenagers chased one another by motorbike and fought across several roads in the early hours of Aug. 24. Police have charged 25 suspects with disturbing public order.

One group from Thang An gathered 15 people and brought three-pronged spears, two-pronged spears, knives, slingshots and beer bottles. The group used five motorbikes to look for its rivals. The other group, initially eight people, carried swords, machetes, spears, slingshots and pepper spray on three motorbikes.

The groups met near Ky Phu Bridge and immediately began chasing one another. During the fight, two members of one group allegedly struck a rival several times in the back with swords. After the other group fled, some suspects attacked six people who were not involved in the planned fight, causing injuries, damaging vehicles and taking a motorbike to hide it.

The violence continued near Truong Giang Bridge after one group grew to 14 people. The suspects used pepper spray, metal-ball slingshots and stones. One person suffered a head injury. Police said the groups had planned the confrontation, repeatedly rode at high speed along major roads and endangered other road users. Officers seized weapons, pepper spray and nine motorbikes as the investigation continued.