MacArthur Park in Los Angeles officially shuts down for repairs and maintenance at 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 15, displacing about 250 homeless people living in the park’s encampments. Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo, who represents District 1, announced the park’s closure last month. During the pandemic, hundreds of unhoused people began camping out at the Westlake park. When Angelenos heard the park would be closed again for maintenance, some expressed concerns that the closure would lead to a repeat of the Echo Park closure and subsequent protests and violence that occurred in March. In an effort to prevent a repeat, the city began notifying people living in the encampments of the closure on Sept. 29, instead of notifying them a mere 48 hours prior as they did in Echo Park. Fencing will also be put up in phases, and much of the park will remain open during the repairs, …