MacArthur Park street vendors demand an end to city and police harassment and criminalization

Ana Vazquez is a street vendor in the MacArthur Park area. Recently, she has been feeling discriminated against and constantly harassed by the police. She said that despite having her street seller’s permit, she is often required to move and was fined twice already under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 41.18, an anti-camping and public right-of-way ordinance.

This ordinance makes it illegal to block the public rights-of-way like sidewalks and streets by sitting, lying, sleeping or installing personal property. 

Vazquez, who is a member of the Union Popular de Vendedores Ambulantes (UPV), said this is unfair because she and many other street vendors keep up with their permits and pay their dues.

“If we are selling [on sidewalks] it is because we have permits that were approved, but police say these are not valid,” she said.

Vazquez said she understands some people cause problems and that unhoused people lie on the sidewalks, but the vendors don’t fall under any of these categories. They just want to work to make ends meet. 

For this reason, she and other street vendors gathered on Wednesday to ask local authorities to stop the harassment and work with them so they can continue selling their goods without causing problems. 

Lidia Perez, another vendor and member UPV, said in the press conference that the group wants ordinance 41.18 to be repealed. The group also asked L.A. City Councilwoman Eunises Hernandez (CD 1), who represents the area, to take a stand against this ordinance. 

“This will help decriminalize unhoused people and street vendors,” said Perez, who also sells in the area.  

Juan Rodriguez, organizer with UPV, said they have been notified of at least five citations that street vendors have received under ordinance 41.18. 

He said these actions are concerning, especially since they were told already that in 2027 the park will be closed for remodeling in anticipation of the LA28 Olympics. 

The vendors also want Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to ensure the upcoming LA28 Olympic Games planning doesn’t turn into a higher rate of criminalization of street vendors. 

“They should start a street vending regulation that includes permits, tax dues, spaces for selling and insurance [and] coordination between the street vendors, the city and the councilwoman,” she said. 

Additionally, the vendors asked for a space where they can gather to receive training for small businesses. 

Vazquez said a promise to improve is not enough and they hope LAPD releases a statement confirming the names of the street vendors affected and stating that their charges have been dropped. 

A work in progress 

In response to the demands from the vendors, Councilwoman Hernandez’ Communications Director Naomi Roochnik said their office has been actively addressing the issue. 

“We immediately met with the affected vendors, raised the improper enforcement with LAPD and demanded that every citation be dismissed and that LAPD personally notify each vendor of the dismissal,” she said. 

She also acknowledged CD1 has remained in direct communication with vendors throughout this process, and made it clear that ordinance 41.18 is not a street vending law. 

“Using it as a backdoor to regulate or remove sidewalk vendors is outrageous and appears to violate SB 946. Neither LAPD nor any other department should cite vendors under 41.18 simply for vending,” she said. “Our office recently hosted a sidewalk-vendor resource fair and continues working directly with vendors to protect their rights and connect them with permits, resources and technical assistance.”

A promise to show a safe MacArthur

The MacArthur Park and Westlake area has been under federal scrutiny for a few years now. In January 2025, authorities placed a metal-mesh fence preventing sellers from installing their goods on the sidewalks.

In recent months, federal authorities have carried out at least two operations to catch illegal drug sales and activities. 

Eventually, the fence was replaced by big cement balls on the sidewalk that seemed like decoration. 

On June 4, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman promised in a press conference that by Labor Day the MacArthur Park area would be safe. So safe that he pledged to spend the day with his family.

“And we are going to have a picnic in MacArthur Park because MacArthur Park is going to be safe enough to have that picnic,” he said. “I invite the mayor, I invite every city council person, every member of the Board of Supervisors to join us here for a picnic on Labor Day because MacArthur Park will be that safe.”