Two TikTok videos showing homeowners sealing off beaches in Malibu and Laguna Beach from the public have sparked a debate on social media, but it’s unclear whether any laws were broken.
The videos, posted by various users over the past week, have raised similar questions about public beach access as California beachgoers clash with property owners over who can be on the beach and where. These videos have tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of thousands of views.
The California Coastal Commission did not immediately take a position and said it was reviewing the videos.
“The Coastal Commission is investigating both incidents to determine whether they involve violations of the Coastal Act,” agency spokesperson Sarah Christie said.
The videos have reignited the debate over California beach access, with the California Coastal Act of 1976 giving residents a fundamental right to use the state’s beaches. But residents don’t have access to all the sand. The law provides the public with access to beaches near the mean high tide line (the wet, sandy area generally considered the beach).
In the first video released Friday, a homeowner in Victoria Beach, Laguna Beach yells at beachgoers, telling them they are on her private property as they try to enjoy the beach.
“Get the fuck out of here,” the woman shouted to the family, which included a child. “Get out of here. Now!”
The woman then installed a rope barricade, blocking off a section of sand. It was unclear whether she was on wet or dry sand.
“Karen in Laguna Beach expanded property into common areas,” the woman who posted the TikTok wrote.
Once a hidden gem among Laguna locals, Victoria Beach has become a popular spot for people to post about on social media. A long, steep flight of stairs, with its entrance hidden in a residential area, leads to the beach.
A second video released on Monday shows a sign on Lechuza Beach in Malibu claiming the beach is private property.
“This beach is on private land. Trespassers will be prosecuted.
“A big lie,” said the person who posted the Tik Tok.
In the video of Lechuza Beach, the sign appears to be located in the wet sand, which would make it open to the public.
“The beach does belong to the people. It’s a free open space. It belongs to all Californians. It’s enshrined in the state constitution and coastal law,” said Mandy Sackett, California senior policy coordinator for the coastal conservation group Surfrider. ) said. “Homeowners think the beach belongs to them because they own expensive real estate, but in reality it belongs to everyone. This is all too common in our opinion.
