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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Street Vendor from Brooklyn
3:48:01
·
3 min
A street vendor from Brooklyn testified about the challenges and fears faced by immigrant street vendors in New York City. She highlighted the difficulties of working without a license due to their unavailability and the harassment from police that impacts their ability to earn a living.
- She is a single mother of two teenagers, relying solely on street vending for income
- She described an incident where police aggressively approached her, threatening to issue a ticket if she didn't leave immediately
- The experience left her unable to work and pay rent that month, illustrating the precarious situation of unlicensed vendors
UKNOWN
3:48:01
Before street vendors would obstruct sidewalks, it used to be restaurants that obstructed the sidewalks.
3:48:12
When the pandemic started They built the sheds outside on the sidewalks.
3:48:28
After those
3:48:33
those sheds, after that was denied, they continued working on the sheds and no tickets were issued.
3:48:47
true that when the It's not true that when the police asked us to leave, we don't leave.
3:49:03
The majority are immigrants and we're all under terror because of the police.
3:49:10
So immediately we leave.
3:49:17
Because besides being terrified and harassed by the police.
3:49:27
We're nowadays, we're also in terrible fear because of ICE.
3:49:38
I've been a street vendor in New York for two years.
3:49:40
In Brooklyn
3:49:43
In Brooklyn in Sunset Park.
3:49:48
So selling on the streets is my only job.
3:49:54
I'm a single mom to a 16 year old boy.
3:49:58
And a 15 year old daughter.
3:50:04
I ask that they let me work so that I can buy my food.
3:50:10
Pay the rent which is very high.
3:50:21
Okay.
3:50:21
Don't have a I don't have a license to be a street vendor because they're not they're not available.
3:50:27
And if they were available, I would have already requested one.
3:50:34
felt so harassed by police.
3:50:43
One time when I was working, they approached me in a very aggressive way.
3:50:51
They asked for my license and when they saw that I didn't have one.
3:50:58
They said if you don't leave in an hour, we were going to issue a ticket.
3:51:02
Sorry.
3:51:03
If you don't leave in half an hour, sorry.
3:51:05
We will issue you a ticket.
3:51:11
So I want you to leave now.
3:51:16
And when they left, I started crying.
3:51:22
Because I was thinking how am I gonna pay my rent now.
3:51:29
And so that month I was unable to pay my rent because I couldn't continue working.
UKNOWN
3:48:29
So after
3:49:41
and Sunset Park.
3:50:33
I
Guadalupe Sosa
3:48:44
It's not