Massive Downtown Cleanup Kicks Off Near Homeless Enclave

LOS ANGELES, CA — A major cleanup operation was carried out Monday in the downtown Civic Center area, with people living on the street directed to remove all their personal belongings to make way for crews removing trash.

A flyer posted on light poles around Los Angeles City Hall by the Sanitation Department over the weekend notified the homeless living on streets that they needed to remove their tents and belongings by 8 a.m.

The area targeted included a block on First Street between Broadway and Spring Street, where at least 15 tents were put up by homeless people occupying the sidewalk in front of a fenced-in empty lot next to a portion of Grand Park used for parking during scheduled events.

The flyer stated a "Major Cleaning" was scheduled to take place. The notice directed people to "remove all personal belongings, including bulky items by 8 a.m.," otherwise, "all property remaining will be removed by the city."

The operation gained heightened attention given the recent emphasis at City Hall on stepped-up efforts to clear debris on streets caused in part by the growing homeless population but also due to the issue of illegal dumping.

But Mayor Eric Garcetti's office insisted that Monday's operation was not unusual, but a routine part of Clean Streets LA cleaning efforts. Such cleanups take place every day in locations across the city, officials said.

City News Service