Downtown Eastside street vendors get support of SFU students
Vendors say they sell goods to supplement low incomes; 'You can't live on $180 a month on welfare'
For years, vendors on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have sold their goods from sidewalks that line the north side of East Hastings Street between Carrall and Columbia streets.
But earlier this week, the City of Vancouver cracked down on those illegal street sellers, instructing police to relocate them to sanctioned markets.
The edict has increased tensions between vendors — many of whom are homeless or on welfare — and police.
One vendor, Jim, who did not give his last name, said he sells goods donated by local merchants to supplement his income.
"You can't live on $180 a month on welfare," said Jim, who has lived in the Downtown Eastside for nearly four decades.
"It's friggin' impossible, okay."
On Friday, the displaced vendors got support from students at Simon Fraser University, which has a campus near the Downtown Eastside. About a dozen students, bolstered by local residents, took their message to the street.
Students rally to support vendors
"A lot of the vendors have talked about how nobody goes there," said Amy Widmer, an SFU International Studies student, referring to the sanctioned vending areas.
"You have to actually actively enter into a space that is designated for vending instead of being able to just walk down the street, pass by and see something."
Vendors have linked the crackdown to the development of a new condo complex, which is scheduled to open on East Hastings, near where the vendors operate.
However, Vancouver Police say the outdoor market is not safe. According to Const. Brian Montague, there have been 75 assaults and 12 robberies this year in the Downtown Eastside stretch of East Hastings.