Protesters vandalized Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s home on Thursday night after he limited homeless encampments:
A crowd of about 50 people began protesting at the residence at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the LAPD. The protest started peacefully, but ended with dozens of officers responding in riot gear dispersing the crowd.“No one was in danger. Our role last night was to facilitate a peaceful protest and make sure that everyone’s First Amendment rights were protected,” LAPD Lt. Rex Ingram said. “Unfortunately around midnight, they were a little bit loud and boisterous, and were getting a little out of hand, and that’s why we decided to give them a dispersal order.”
People held signs saying, “5 Unhoused People A Day Die in Garcettis [sic] LA” and “Your Sweeps Are Violent! We Will Not Be Silent!”
Los Angeles County has seen a sharp rise in homeless encampments for years. Tensions have boiled over this year since the encampments made Venice Beach dangerous.
The tents also drain money from the city.
The new ordinance forbids “temporary shelters within 500 feet of schools, daycare facilities, libraries and other locations throughout the city of Los Angeles.”
Also, on Thursday, a video emerged of a fight between three homeless men on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. One man took a large pole towards a man who exchanged “punches with a third man.”
Homeless fights are not new on the boardwalk:
“It’s not an uncommon sight,” Adam Merchant, assistant manager of the Fig Tree Restaurant, said.Merchant said that fights like this happen all too often and that the homelessness crisis has taken a major toll on local businesses.“With the restaurant being open until 9 or 10 o’clock, people are scared to come to the boardwalk past a certain time,” Merchant said.The video does show Los Angeles Police Department officers nearby. However, it doesn’t appear that men involved in the violence were detained and calls to LAPD regarding the Wednesday incident were not immediately returned.
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