Some of Ms. Breed’s challengers have criticized her approach. Aaron Peskin, president of the Board of Supervisors and the most liberal candidate in the mayoral race, said that he would add 2,000 shelter beds, fight evictions and boost the number of rent-controlled apartments.

“What is happening now is a quick and performative election-year gimmick,” he said.

At the D.M.V., activists had their own way of countering the sweep overseen by Ms. Breed. They parked a U-Haul van nearby and offered to store the men’s belongings in it until the city crews left. Ms. Breed, standing across the street, said they were only enabling homelessness and doing nothing to actually help.

Jeff Klein, 31, bought turkey and Swiss sandwiches for the men. Another activist gave them Oreo cookies. Mr. Klein said the city should have been spending its money on food and housing instead of paying for the workers involved in the clearing, most of whom did not engage with the homeless men or clean the camp.

“We have our values completely backward,” Mr. Klein said.

Lt. Wayman Young of the San Francisco Police has worked on the camp-clearing team for five years. He said that people living in tents in neighborhoods away from downtown are often disabled people, older citizens or teenage runaways — all of whom desperately need help.