Call DC Council to support street vendors

For more than a century, street vending has been a way for immigrant and low-income residents to make a living and feed their families. Many Jewish immigrants who arrived from Eastern Europe in the 1800s became street vendors, and many Latin American immigrants who arrived in DC in the past few decades have done the same, selling flowers, fruit, artwork, home goods, and more. But over the past several years, Black and brown street vendors have been systematically harassed and intimidated by DC police.

That’s why Vendors United and Beloved Community Incubator have been pushing DC Council to decriminalize street vending. Vendors shouldn’t be harassed, arrested, or charged unaffordable fines just for working to feed their families and to meet the needs of their communities. And this year, Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau and Phil Mendelson introduced legislation to stop this practice.