Two weeks ago, activists took down a small section of the fence surrounding Echo Park Lake on the northwest side of the park, reigniting calls on social media for the entire fence to be removed.
Three days later, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, the city council representative for Echo Park, released a statement confirming that they were planning to “take down the fence” without offering a specific date.
These two events brought the fence, which has surrounded Echo Park Lake and divided local residents for nearly two years, back into the spotlight.
On the campaign trail in 2022, Soto-Martinez had promised he would take down the fence. However, two months after being sworn into office in December, the fence remains up.
"Leaving [the fence] up is a slap in the face to the people who were harmed by the city when it was installed,” tweeted Albert Corado earlier this month. The activist ran against Soto-Martinez last year .