Dave Chappelle took aim at San Francisco during a surprise show on Thursday.
“What the heck happened to this place?” According to a review by SFGATE, Chappelle asked the crowd at the city’s Masonic Auditorium while addressing the homeless population.
The comedian and Ohio resident shared a story in which he claimed someone was defecating in front of a restaurant when he entered the place.
Chappelle called San Francisco “half ‘Glee’, half zombie movie” and told the audience that the city “needs a Batman”.
SFGATE noted that Chappelle refrained from addressing his controversial past comments on transgender issues. The comedian has faced continued backlash for his comments about the LGBTQ+ community, and his focus on the transgender community in particular, for his 2021 Netflix special The Closer.
Chappelle’s standup special The Closer led to a strike by Netflix employees in protest as co-CEO Ted Sarandos doubled down on his defense despite allegations of transphobia.
Related:Is California at a tipping point when it comes to crime and homelessness?
San Francisco’s response to the housing crisis went to court in 2022
The San Francisco housing crisis and the city’s response became the subject of a lawsuit last year.
A federal judge temporarily banned San Francisco from evicting homeless camps, saying the city violated its own guidelines by not offering alternative shelters.
US District Court Judge Donna M. Ryu in Oakland issued an emergency order Dec. 23 prohibiting the city from taking away tents and confiscating campers’ belongings, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The move came as part of a lawsuit on behalf of homeless complainers wanting to prevent San Francisco from disbanding homeless camps until there are thousands of additional shelters.
Ryu cited evidence presented by the plaintiffs that before the camps were evicted, the city routinely and unlawfully failed to provide residents with shelter and improperly confiscated or discarded their belongings, including cell phones, medicines, ID cards and even prosthetic limbs.
San Francisco’s homeless population (assisted and vulnerable people combined) has actually declined from 8,035 people in 2019 to 7,754 people in 2022, according to a report by the Department of Homelessness and Assisted Living.
“Good luck Florida”:Scott Baio divides the internet with his departure from California
Scott Baio moved out of California, citing the homeless population
Chappelle’s comments Thursday reflected the frustration of others in Hollywood over the issue affecting all of California.
Scott Baio, a longtime California resident, announced on Twitter on May 3 that he was moving out of California because of what he called what he called a homelessness problem there. Baio confirmed to Fox News’ Jesse Watters on May 9 that his family is moving to Florida.
“After 45 years, I’m finally on my way to ‘properly getting off the stage,’ California,” the “Happy Days” and “Charles in Charge” star wrote on May 3, citing statistics from a Los Angeles report Homeless from the 2022 Service Authority. “The most recent survey … found that about 69,000 people in LA County and 41,000 in the city were homeless in 2022.”
Baio’s move divided social media as fans came forward with words of support and critics slammed the actor’s departure from California.
Dave Chappelle’s show is swapping locationsafter heavy backlash over original venue: “We hear you”
Featuring: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
