A large fight erupted at a homeless camp in Venice Beach, just a few weeks after Mayor Karen Bass claimed it had been cleared. The chaos unfolded with at least four people throwing punches and shouting outside the popular Rose Cafe during the day.
This incident took place in an area that used to be part of the mayor’s Inside Safe Program, a housing initiative that Bass introduced after taking office. For residents like Craig Ribeiro, who has lived nearby for a long time, this is simply the latest sign of the community’s deterioration.
Ribeiro expressed his frustration, saying, “The mayor was elected to clean this up, which is just unbelievable. She had a victory lap here and a celebration in a place that we all loved, and now it’s closed down, covered in graffiti and overrun with people.”
He described the scene as an eyesore and symbolic of the neighborhood’s decline under her leadership. Ribeiro pointed out that the new encampment breaks laws by obstructing sidewalks, a fundamental principle of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“I don’t understand why this continues to be an issue. These encampments are blocking accessibility and now we’re witnessing fighting at Rose Cafe,” he said.
Rose Cafe is located only two blocks from Venice Beach, a site that attracts around 28,000 to 30,000 visitors daily, making it the second-most-visited destination in the area after Disneyland. On March 17, city crews had cleared a significant encampment nearby, and Ribeiro noted, “The law is not being enforced. The people who live here know it’s pure illegality.”
A video showed some initial improvements following the cleanup. One homeless woman commented, “I’m going to go back and sleep where I was until I find housing…I’m not running away.”
Despite the disruptive events, the mayor’s office maintains that they will not relent. “Before Mayor Bass was elected, there was no citywide encampment elimination strategy. But now, thanks to her efforts, street homelessness is down 17.5%. She will continue to work relentlessly to remove encampments across the city and help neighborhoods recover,” a spokesperson mentioned.
However, local residents feel differently. They argue that conditions are worsening and the violence is escalating. The mayor’s spokesperson reiterated that in 2023, Bass initiated one of the first Operation Inside Safe efforts in that challenging area, successfully bringing over 100 unhoused individuals indoors to date.
Her office assured that they, along with the City Council and various city departments, have been consistently visiting the site over the last three years to provide assistance and clean the area. “We will continue to do so. This area is very appealing for encampments, but we are undaunted,” they stated.
