On 8th Street, Russell Lewis, 62, stopped long enough to learn that he was seeing a demonstration against too many spaces for cars and not enough for people. All things considered, including his hungry stomach, he didn't get it.
"I'm a Vietnam veteran. I have no money, no place to eat, no nothing," Lewis said, "and you guys are talking about a park? Right here?"
The action comes at a time when city officials are examining how to improve L.A.'s 15,700 acres of park space and possibly add more. A report by the city auditor last year found that L.A.'s lowest-income residents have far fewer park and recreation spaces available near them than residents of more affluent areas. In fact, each of the three L.A. City Council districts to the south and east of downtown L.A. has less than an acre of parkland per 1,000 residents (the recommended national average is generally 4 to 10 acres per 1,000 residents).
It was a point the activists tried to make Friday.
At a spot along Broadway in Chinatown, Autumn Rooney, 34, a member of the Socialize L.A. Project, handed out fliers and bus maps to curious pedestrians. Rooney said that while growing up in Chicago and New York, she was used to more green spaces and more reliance on public transportation.
Rooney said it was with reluctance that she bought a car to get around L.A. (other activists insisted on biking or walking).
"There's more space devoted to cars than for parks," Rooney said. "People have been supportive. One Chinese woman said, 'Winner, winner!' She was sweet."
At Figueroa and Avenue 26 in Northeast L.A., another group of activists also laid out artificial turf, potted plants and a green sofa.
They showed a TV documentary called "Contested Streets," which, according to one website, "explores the rich diversity of New York City street life prior to the introduction of the automobile."
Veronica Jauregui, 31, spoke about the cause to a passerby who identified himself only as Mike.
Mike was unconvinced. "Meanwhile, where are all the people parking?" he asked with a smile.
"We're trying to eliminate car parking," Jauregui said. "L.A. is all about parking [and] parking structures."
Many activists set up multiple "parks" throughout the day. The bicyclists who rode to 8th and Alvarado had earlier been at the corner of Rampart and Wilshire boulevards in Westlake. People leaned against a nearby building, smoking cigarettes and generally ignoring the activists. About six people stopped by, Durgen said.
