TESTIMONY
Testimony by Wajid Shah: Advocating for Disabled Veterans' Rights on the Brooklyn Bridge
2:31:18
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144 sec
Wajid Shah, a disabled veteran, addresses the City Council to advocate for the rights of disabled veterans to vend on the Brooklyn Bridge.
He challenges the city's ban on vendors due to safety concerns, noting the lack of an environmental state statement and the inconsistency in managing security risks for pedestrians. Shah highlights the protected right under state law for disabled veterans to vend and calls for a restriction that favors disabled veterans while excluding unlicensed vendors.
Speaker 10
2:31:18
Good afternoon.
2:31:19
Members of the community and spokeswoman, Julie Mann.
2:31:24
My name is Wajid Shah.
2:31:25
I'm a disabled veteran.
2:31:27
I was specifically vending at the Brooklyn Bridge, and Basically, the city passed this law to ban all lenders from the Brooklyn Bridge without providing an environment state environmental state statement of impact.
2:31:46
Basically, what that means is anytime there's a risk to humans safety.
2:31:52
The city must produce an environmental state, a statement impact.
2:31:57
Of impact.
2:31:59
That's 1.
2:31:59
Number 2 is that the city claims congestion, risk of fires, fire safety hazards, and also national security issues due to vendors.
2:32:14
Partially, that is true.
2:32:16
There are there were over 110 vendors running at the Brooklyn Bridge.
2:32:20
And partially is also true because the city allows thousands of pedestrians to go through the Brooklyn Bridge without going through any security checks.
2:32:34
So any one of those people can carry hazard hazard items that can create fire safety and other hazards.
2:32:45
Number 3, There were only 15 veterans who were running at the Brooklyn Bridge, and we have a state right under general business slot 32, general business slot 3535a to win in restricted streets.
2:33:01
So I am asking this council this committee to restrict the bridge instead of prohibiting the bridge.
2:33:09
So restricted to disabled veterans and and also prohibited for vendors that that that did not have license or okay.
2:33:26
They were
Speaker 1
2:33:27
just gonna ask you to wrap up place.
Speaker 10
2:33:29
Okay.
2:33:30
So so I basically want the bridge to be open for vending exclusively to disabled veterans.
2:33:39
That's all.
Speaker 1
2:33:40
Okay.
2:33:40
Thank you.
2:33:40
Thank you.
2:33:42
Yes.