A public square with people walking, surrounded by buildings and palm trees under a cloudy sky. A police car is parked on the left, and colorful wall art is visible on the right.
3:28:25 SW 16th Street Plaza

Not much changed on Friday morning — day No. 17 of the operations at the 16th Street BART plaza and nearby areas. Both plazas looked quiet, clean and had a visible police presence while Julian Avenue remained busy with a group of denizens hanging out on the sidewalk near the Kailash Hotel.

Wiese Street was quiet for the most part with just one person bending over on the sidewalk. Nearby on 16th Street, another group of about six people hung out outside of Mission Graduates, a nonprofit offering in-school, after-school and summer programs for low-income families.

Caledonia Street was also quiet with only one person bending over in the middle of the street. Julian Avenue’s southeastern and northwestern corners continue to be the busiest blocks in the area.

For others, the operations at the plaza already had an immediate effect.

A fruit vendor at the southwestern plaza called Maria said she quit selling shampoos and other beauty supplies at the plaza following the command center’s arrival.

“I got scared. I decided to quit because there’s constant police presence,” said Maria.

Capp Street was a little busier than yesterday, especially the corner at 16th Street. A Public Works truck filled with garbage drove away as I approached the scene.  By 4 p.m. when Marc Salomon took photos, Capp Street was decidedly active. And photos from 9 a.m. by Salomon show a few denizens enjoying the southwest plaza while officers look on. Meanwhile, across near the Muni stop at the northeast    

A street scene shows a van labeled "Ariel's Plumbing" parked near a group of people on a city corner, next to a building with a sign that reads "Maliase Hotel.
3/28/25 Julian Avenue, east side
Street intersection with cars, a school bus, and colorful graffiti-covered buildings. Pedestrians cross at a marked crosswalk. Palm trees line the street, and traffic lights are visible.
3/28/25 NE 16th Street Plaza
Urban alleyway with trash scattered on the ground. Two people stand near a trash bin on the left. Buildings line the alley, including one with a "TAQU" sign on the right.
3/28/25 Wiese Street
A woman stands on a city sidewalk using her phone near a corner with a fire hydrant. A person sits on a ledge in the background, and several cars are parked on the street.
3/28/25 Julian Avenue, west side
Narrow alleyway beside a tan building with blue tiles, a person bending over, and graffiti on a fence. Street in the foreground with a red crosswalk.
3/28/25 Caledonia
Urban street scene with a mural on a building, parked cars, and people walking and cycling. Crosswalk and graffiti are visible. Overcast sky.
3/28/25 Capp Street looking south

At 9 a.m. from the plazas and Muni stop. Later the afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., the scene on and near Capp Street had changed.

Two people converse beside a man in a wheelchair at the 16th St. plaza, near a mural with police officers standing in the background. A mobile command vehicle is parked close by.
3/28/25, 9 a.m southwest Plaza. Photo by Marc Salomon
Crowds converge on the lively, graffiti-covered 16th St. plaza, with some seated and others standing. Scattered personal items and a bike embellish the scene as a woman in a green jacket strides past.
3/28/25, 9 a.m near the Muni stop at the northeast Plaza. Photo by Marc Salomon
A group of people gather near a graffiti-covered wall on 16th St. Plaza. Some chat while others sit on the ground, soaking in the urban vibe. Pedestrians and a person with a walker weave through the bustling city scene in the background.
3/28/25, 4:30 16th Street between Mission and Capp streets. Photo by Marc Salomon
People standing on a wet city sidewalk at 16th St. plaza, some with umbrellas. A person films with a camera as vibrant graffiti and parked cars line the street.
3/28/25, 4:30 Capp Street looking south, Photo by Marc Salomon
A group of people gathers near a vibrant graffiti-covered wall at the corner of 16th St. Plaza, close to a bustling crosswalk and traffic light. A car is partially visible in the foreground, adding to the lively city scene.
3/28/25, 10 minutes later, Capp Street looking south, Photo by Marc Salomon

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Reporting from the Mission District and other District 9 neighborhoods. Some of his personal interests are bicycles, film, and both Latin American literature and punk. Oscar's work has previously appeared in KQED, The Frisc, El Tecolote, and Golden Gate Xpress.

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3 Comments

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  2. How do you know they were doing “drugs”? Because they were hanging out? Because they were bent over? Should the cops arrest them? Is that what was happening at Mission & South Van Ness the other night when the SFPD made mass arrests but charged no one? a bunch of people hanging out, bent ove? And what kind of “drugs”? How much of what kind of drugs have the cops seized around that area since the first bust yielded an ounce of “drugs” which now, two or three weeks later, no one has yet to say what kind of “drugs”?

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    1. Indeed, it’s a complete mystery whether people who are incapacitated, incontinent, and folded over like paper clips are on drugs. Maybe it’s just some weird yoga.

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