Bengaluru Street Vendors Protest At Freedom Park Against Eviction Drives

Street vendors gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Saturday to protest against recent eviction drives and demand the immediate implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Organised by the Bengaluru Street Vendors’ Association (Beedhi Badhi Vyaparigala Sangha), which is affiliated to CITU, the protesters urged the Karnataka State government and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to halt the evictions.

The association alleged that the GBA has been using its powers in an "authoritarian manner" by evicting vendors without following due process. According to the protesters, vendors were evicted without being given the mandatory one-month notice prescribed under the 2014 Act, and without being provided alternative vending spaces.

During these eviction drives, authorities allegedly destroyed vendors' property, including fruits, vegetables, food items, pushcarts, weighing machines, baskets, and tarpaulins. The association stated that this destruction of livelihoods has left many vendors, who had borrowed money to purchase these goods and equipment, in severe financial distress.

The association defended the vendors against claims that they cause pedestrian deaths. Instead, they blamed the encroachment of public spaces by malls, large residential complexes, and unscientific traffic management. They argued that rather than adopting planned road development to accommodate the city's growth, authorities are targeting street vendors who contribute significantly to Bengaluru's economy.

The protesters demanded action against the officials responsible for carrying out evictions without notice, compensation for the financial losses suffered by the vendors, and stringent action against those who allegedly destroyed their property.

Furthermore, the association called for a GPS-based survey of all street vendors, the issuance of identity cards, the development of designated vending zones in accessible locations, and transparent, periodic elections to Town Vending Committees as mandated by the Street Vendors Act.