A community market in Sunset Park descended into chaos on Easter Sunday after local authorities dismantled it. The incident at Plaza Tonatiuh is the latest in an ongoing dispute between the local authorities and unlicensed street vendors.
“We are aware of recent enforcement activity at Sunset Park and are disheartened that we are at this place,” Councilmember Alexa Avilés said in a statement on Sunday. “We have been talking with various stakeholders, and we all want to find a solution to support the vendors.”
For decades, city officials have attempted to enforce the more than 20,000 estimated street vendors in the city — most of whom are immigrants. Many of these vendors are working illegally because of a long-standing cap on the number of permits available to vendors. Last month, enforcement of vendors moved to the city Sanitation Department, which advocates called insulting.
On Sunday afternoon, the NYPD began shutting down vendors’ makeshift stands at 44th Street and 4th Avenue in Sunset Park, according to social media posts. The NYPD said there were no arrests.
But Ray Valentin, an organizer with Mexicanos Unidos, who helped set up the market, said there weren’t any vendors at the park. The food was free and the event was a religious celebration, Valentin said.
“We were getting harassed by the cops from the moment we stepped foot in the park this morning,” Valentin said. “They were saying that we were protesting, and that this was a demonstration. But nobody was protesting.”
Some of the attendees held banners while others passed out free food. He said he believes that the event was targeted by officials.
“If Jesus was alive today, he’d probably be beat up by the Parks department or the NYPD,” Valentin said.
It was the second week in a row that the authorities arrived at the community market to quell vendors, according to its organizers.
“Last Sunday, many plaza participants suffered losses because the police would not allow them to…
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