2 men charged with promoting sideshows under new Oakland law

""Sideshows are not harmless gatherings," Jones Dickson said in a press statement issued Monday. "These illegal events routinely cause vandalism, reckless driving, injuries, property damage, and pose significant threats to public safety. Individuals who organize, promote, and facilitate these activities will be held accountable.""

"Both men were charged with violating an Oakland city law that makes it a misdemeanor to organize a sideshow. The law was put on the books by the Oakland City Council in June 2023, giving city officials the ability to impose civil fines of up to $5,000 for repeat violations, and to ask courts to shut down social media accounts used to promote sideshows."

"Oakland officials have never used this law to seek civil penalties, and the prosecutions of the two sideshow organizers may be the first of their kind. We previously asked the district attorney if they have ever used the city's anti-sideshow law to charge people, but officials did not share any information."

"OPD and the District Attorney have been cracking down on reckless driving in recent months. At the beginning of May, police from Oakland and other jurisdictions tracked down dozens of individuals who participated in sideshows around the Bay Area, eventually impounding nearly 80 ATVs and dirt bikes."

Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson announced criminal charges against Axel Cisnerosmentos and Aron Anaya for allegedly organizing and facilitating an illegal sideshow. The sideshow was organized after a public gathering involving the Internet celebrity iShowSpeed and occurred in September 2025 in West Oakland. Both men were charged with violating an Oakland city law that makes organizing a sideshow a misdemeanor. The law, adopted by the Oakland City Council in June 2023, allows civil fines up to $5,000 for repeat violations and permits courts to shut down social media accounts used to promote sideshow events. Oakland officials had not previously used the law for civil penalties, and these prosecutions may be the first of their kind. Police and transportation agencies have also increased enforcement and deterrence efforts related to sideshow activity and reckless driving.

Read at The Oaklandside