22 May 2003
Private retailers of non-food goods protesting their eviction from major market in Brest
Individual entrepreneurs who sell non-food consumer goods at Brest's Tsentralny Rynok (Central Market) amassed on Lenin Square on Wednesday morning to display their protest against the city authorities' decision to evict them from the market.
As a protester told BelaPAN, they had occupied 328 selling places at the market before the Brest City Executive Committee decided to clear room for sellers of fruit and vegetables.
On May 20, a delegation of the evicted vendors was received by the Committee's officials, who promised to sort out the problem.
Despite this, more than 100 people arrived at the square the following day to continue their protest, although they chose not to display any signs.
Tsentralny Rynok Director Yevgeny Mushinsky explained to BelaPAN that sellers of non-food goods had always been requested to vacate space for the summer period, as the market is above all for trade in
food products, but this time the City Executive Committee decided to clear the market from non-food goods forever, not for the summer period, citing the forthcoming renovation.
The Committee promises to provide the evicted vendors with space at other market places in Brest, but this does not appear to satisfy them.
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