Disgruntled Mission District vendors march to protest ban on street sales
Dozens of San Francisco street vendors hit the street Friday, marching from 24th and Mission streets to City Hall to call for the end to the Mission Street vending ban.
They held signs and chanted "¡Queremos trabajar! ¡Queremos trabajar!" which translates to "We want to work!" They called on the city to immediately allow them to sell goods during the crucial holiday season, telling city officials they want to get back to work.
READ MORE: Mission District street vendors push back against proposed ban
Vendors say since the ban took effect nearly two weeks ago, they have struggled to make ends meet.
"Some days [I make] zero. Nothing. Some days five dollars, $10, $15, $18. That's it. No more than that," said San Francisco vendor Rodrigo Lopez. "We want someone to bring solutions to the table. We don't want more issues or problems. We want solutions."
The city moved some legal vendors to a nearby indoor space provided free of charge to sell their products, but many complained no one was coming to those spaces as they watched their sales plummet. Many decided to return to selling on Mission District sidewalks, crowding their tables onto 24th Street.
The city announced some financial help for vendors earlier this week, offering to give them a one-time payout of $1,000.
But vendors counter they never asked for money and say they just want to go back to the streets.