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# Gang tags gone
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/gang-tags-gone/
- Published: 2003-04-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:05:52.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Pico, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Frustrated and tired of seeing gang graffiti littering their neighborhood, a group of Santa Monica residents took it upon themselves to clean it up.

Pico Neighborhood Association volunteers gathered last weekend at Eddie’s Market at the corner of Pico Boulevard and 20th Street to fix a parking lot wall, noted for its graffiti tags and patched paint.

In an hour and a half, the 50-foot-long wall went from three shades of yellow and gray to a brick red-brown with creeping fig vines planted in wells cut into the asphalt. The vines will cling to the wall detering grafitti and provide a landscape element.

Plants were purchased with money PNA received from the City of Santa Monica Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant. City Maintenance Manager Kim Braun supplied the paint.

The PNA has an on-going program available to members for matching paint, plants and vines and other design modifications for walls and areas that are often defaced by graffiti.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/042503-06_01.jpg)

of Peter Tigler Residents of a Santa Monica eastside neighborhood clean graffiti off a wall last weekend. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/042503-06_02.jpg)

of Peter Tigler Residents of a Santa Monica eastside neighborhood clean graffiti off a wall last weekend. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 25, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/042503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)