Food Vendor Crackdown in MacArthur Park Area Just in Time For Tamale Season: Immigrants' Rights Activists to Stage Protest

By Dennis Romero Fri., Dec. 16 2011 at 7:09 AM

Ryan Myers

It's tamale season in L.A. And if you haven't put your holiday order in to your friendly, neighborhood, cart-pushing vendor yet, you better get moving.

Except if you live in the MacArthur Park / Westlake district near downtown, where immigrants' rights activists say cops have been cracking down on allegedly illicit street-food vendors.

You might not get the order you paid for if your guy has been put out of business:

Carlos Montes of the Southern California Immigration Coalition says that the LAPD had loosened enforcement against tamale sellers, fruit carts and other neighborhood food vendors for more than a year following the controversial police shooting of day laborer Manuel Jamines on West Sixth Street.

However, activists say cops are back with a vengeance.

Organizer Lupe Lopez told us that the LAPD has been back at it for the last two weeks and was in full effect in the area of Sixth and Alvarado streets last Saturday and Sunday.

In a statement organizers say:

... Police have recently started a crackdown on street vendors who sell items on sidewalks to survive. The MacArthur Park area has a high unemployment rate of undocumented immigrants from Central American and Mexico. Vending is for many the only source of income to survive. Street vending is common in those countries.

They're organizing a protest at 4:30 p.m. outside the Metro subway station on Alvarado and Seventh streets today. (We have a feeling they'll end up outside the LAPD Rampart Station on nearby Sixth Street, which is a usual route for this crew).

View Larger Map

An allegedly drunk-and-bloody Jamines was shot on Sept. 5, 2010 after threatening bystanders, police and a pregnant woman with a knife. The shooting sparked three days of unruly demonstrations in the immigrant neighborhood west of downtown.

Anyone who sells prepared food in the city has to have a license from the county health department as well as business permits from the city.

Organizers want a hands-off policy in the area, however, given that immigrants are comfortable with unlicensed food vendors. (Tastes great, less filling).

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

food vendors, immigrants, LAPD, MacArthur Park, Rampart Division, tamales

We Recommend

c. m.

Darn cops! Drunk and bloody knife-wielding Jamines should have been left to his own devices for sure. That's the way to do it, right?-- "Leave the evil doer to his own evil deeds."

Occupy Tamale Carts

Chronic Indigestion

How about a crack down citywide. Start in North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Van Nuys, Arleta, and Panorama City. The fines alone could balance LA's budget.

street vendor

Um crackdown on people trying to make a living? If it's truly such a health concern, well how about we all take a look at fast food restaurants which seem to not be concerned with FDA regulations because some of they're products have large amounts of carcinogens. THIS IS TRULY AN EXAMPLE OF IN GROUP VIRTUES OUT GROUP VICES. I say we all stop being hypocrites and allow the people to live with dignity. If you don't want it, don't buy it!

ONE LOVE

Chronic Indigestion

No-- crack down on people engaged in an active business not paying the proper fees, not undergoing "routine" inspections-- whatever they may be-- and not paying taxes like everyone else who operates a legitimate business. I am against entitlement and unfair busness practices-- for anyone-- period! My business requires a state license, a city business license in every city I work in. I am required to pay city, state, and federal taxes. I must carry workman's compensation insurance and provide Social Security compensation. If I fail to carry out these basic requirements,"The System" finds me and punishes me. Don't like "The System" then lawfully change it for everyone-- remember democracy-- or get out of business, or move to a community with different rules-- perhaps Granada, San Salvador, or Mexico City. Now either remain unemployed, go make "your living" openly cheating honest business owners and taxpayers, or go work for someone else because you obviously don't understand Economics 101 and unfair business and labor practices.