𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗧 𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞: Three Waymos Jam Up During Venice Homeless Cleanup

VENICE, Calif. — Saturday, June 20, 2026 — Following a larger multi-agency cleanup operation at Venice Beach earlier in the morning, city crews conducted a separate cleanup at 6th Street near Rose Avenue, where a tent encampment had been established in the public right-of-way. Personnel from Los Angeles Sanitation, Environmental Compliance Inspectors, Clean Harbors Environmental Services, and the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the location as part of ongoing efforts to maintain public access and address sanitation concerns. According to observations at the scene, officers contacted a man residing at the encampment and advised him that the area was scheduled for cleanup. The man was instructed to dismantle his tent and remove his belongings so crews could safely perform their work. He complied with the request, gathered his property, and left the area without incident. During the operation, traffic on 6th Street briefly came to a standstill when three Waymo autonomous vehicles approached the cleanup area from opposite directions and became unable to proceed. According to observations at the scene, a Los Angeles Police Department officer contacted Waymo's remote support team by phone and explained the situation. After several minutes, the vehicles were remotely rerouted, allowing traffic to resume and the cleanup operation to continue. Once the site was cleared, sanitation crews removed debris and cleaned the surrounding area. Hazardous materials specialists were also available to handle items requiring specialized disposal. Environmental Compliance Inspectors advised individuals in the area of applicable property regulations under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 56.11, which governs the storage of personal property in public spaces during scheduled cleanup operations. No citations were issued and no arrests were made during the operation. The cleanup was part of the city's ongoing effort to maintain public access, improve sanitation conditions, and address health and safety concerns in heavily used public areas throughout Venice. Santa Monica Closeup continues to document public events of local significance throughout the Westside, including homelessness outreach efforts, public safety operations, and coastal cleanup activities. #VeniceBeach #BeachCleanup #LosAngeles #PublicWorks #Homelessness #LawEnforcement — ⚠️ 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗬𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘 This video is protected by copyright and provided for personal viewing only. Any copying, downloading, re-uploading, reproduction, distribution, sampling, or other use, including commercial or editorial use, without prior written authorization from Santa Monica Closeup is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. © 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗸𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗰𝘇 / 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗽. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱. — 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥 Fabian Lewkowicz is an award-winning photojournalist based in Santa Monica and the creator of 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗽. Known for his compelling imagery and neutral reporting, his work captures the pulse of the city—from civic affairs and emergency response to cultural moments and beach life. His photography has been showcased in galleries, museums, and public installations. — 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗣 PayPal/Venmo/Credit Card 👉 https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M6... 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗨𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗘 Instagram 👉   / santamonicacloseup   Facebook 👉   / santamonicacloseup   Twitter 👉   / smcloseup   — 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗞𝗦    / @santamonicacloseup   — 𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 & 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗜𝗡𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 Email 👉 [email protected] — 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗦: Photojournalism, Visual Journalism, Street Reporting, Documentary, Observational Photography, Press Photography, Independent Media, Southern California News, SMCU, SM©U