Page 4 - aruba-today-20240104

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 4 January 2024

New York City evicts vendors from Brooklyn Bridge, ending a

bustling tourist market to ease crowding

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ the vendors.
Associated Press Some sellers said they
NEW YORK (AP) — Scores of planned to wait a few
sellers that once peddled weeks for the fuss to die
cheap souvenirs to tourists down before trying to
atop the Brooklyn Bridge come back. Others set up
were evicted Wednesday tables near City Hall, across
under a new city rule that from the bridge, hoping
prohibits vending on the to unload their remaining
famed crossing. wares away from the high-
The ban is aimed at easing profile enforcement zone.
congestion on the bridge's MD Rahman, who has sold
heavily-trafficked pedes- hot dogs and pretzels out
trian walkway, which has of a cart on the bridge for
seen a spike in both visitors 15 years, said he had initial-
and tabletop businesses ly planned to defy the city's
offering items like New rules. But when he saw of-
York-branded hats and ficers fanned out across the
keychains. bridge, he decided not to
As crowds flocked to the take the risk.
bridge over the holiday Rahman said he under-
season, the situation turned stands the need to crack
dangerous, according to down on illicit vendors. But
New York City Mayor Eric Notices are taped up on the pedestrian walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Tuesday, he criticized the ban as
Adams. He pointed to vid- Jan. 2, 2024. Associated Press overly broad, since it also
eos that showed pedestri- applies to veteran sellers,
ans leaping from the pe- hattan entrance to the here and work?" Otway phone cases and knock-off like himself, who hold mo-
destrian promenade onto bridge, glumly facing their said, adding that the ven- Yankees caps had multi- bile vending licenses.
a bike lane several feet former marketplace. Along dors had become "a staple plied. Other entrepreneurs "To punish everyone, it's
below in order to bypass a the bridge's trusses, city em- of New York City now." had set up rotating selfie crazy. I don't know what
human traffic jam. ployees hung signs read- The new rules prevent any platforms that allow tourists is going to happen to my
"It's not only a sanitary issue, ing: "No vending allowed." "peddler, vendor, hawker, to take panoramic videos family now," he said.
it's a public safety issue," Kendall Otway, a 67-year- or huckster" from selling of the New York Harbor. On Wednesday afternoon,
Adams said. old vendor, said he began merchandise or provid- "The tourists liked the ven- despite the absence of
"People would've trampled selling merchandise on the ing a service on any of the dors, they always seemed vendors, a group of pe-
over each other. We need bridge last year, working city's bridges or elevated to have business," said Rob- destrians found themselves
order in this city. That is one with a growing group of walkways — though none ert Fernandez, a Brooklyn stuck in foot-traffic beneath
of our major landmarks." asylum seekers who have have close to as many ven- resident who frequently the bridge's stone arches.
Police officers were sta- recently arrived in New dors as the 140-year-old walks the bridge. Still, he The hold-up soon became
tioned in pairs Wednesday York City from Ecuador and Brooklyn Bridge. said it was "much easier" clear: a line of tourists had
along the mile-long span, Senegal. In recent months, the to cross the bridge on stopped to take photo-
as a group of disgruntled "Wasn't it the mayor who number of tables on the Wednesday without the graphs of the "No vending"
vendors stood at the Man- said they should come East River crossing offering "choke points" caused by signs.q

‘Debtor’s prison’ lawsuit filed against St. Louis

suburb resolved with $2.9 million settlement

with the city of Florissant Wilson was not charged, 2023. The settlement re-
was approved by a federal but the shooting led to quires Florissant to forgive
judge on Tuesday and an- months of protests and unpaid fees from traffic
nounced Wednesday by prompted a Department violations between Oct. 31,
ArchCity Defenders, a St. of Justice investigation. The 2011, and Dec. 31, 2019,
Louis-based public interest federal agency in 2015 ac- and to take other steps, in-
law firm. cused Ferguson of racially cluding ensuring the right
The class-action lawsuit biased policing and using to an attorney for anyone
Protesters march in the street as lightning flashes in the distance was filed in 2016. excessive fines and court brought before a munici-
in Ferguson, Mo., Aug. 20, 2014, following the shooting of Michael Florissant was among sev- fees. A year later, Ferguson pal judge.
Brown, an unarmed Black teen, in the St. Louis suburb on Aug. eral St. Louis County cities and the Justice Depart- The Associated Press left
9, 2014. whose policing and court ment reached an agree- telephone messages with
Associated Press
practices were scrutinized ment that required sweep- the Florissant mayor's of-
By JIM SALTER tutional rights of residents after the fatal police shoot- ing reforms. fice. Florissant, with 52,000
Associated Press by jailing them and forcing ing of Michael Brown in Funds from the Florissant residents, is the largest city
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri them to pay fines and fees nearby Ferguson. Brown, settlement will be distrib- in St. Louis County.
city will pay nearly $3 million amounting to millions of a Black 18-year-old, was uted among more than Allison Nelson, now 32, said
to settle a lawsuit accusing dollars, often for minor traf- killed by white Ferguson 85,000 people who were she was jailed twice in Floris-
it and six other St. Louis sub- fic violations. police officer Darren Wilson jailed or fined between sant because she couldn't
urbs of violating the consti- The $2.9 million settlement on Aug. 9, 2014. Oct. 31, 2011, and Feb. 1, afford to pay traffic fines.q